Cruz'en For A Bruisen
by Kidcomfy
Summary: Someone at the 55 takes pleasure in making life difficult for our favorite cops, causing a chain reaction of backstabbing, deceit and revenge.
1. Default Chapter

"Cruz'en For A Bruisen "  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.   
  
~Chapter one~  
  
The officers are at roll call. Lieu finishes his briefing with "Ok keep your eyes open out there." And then he adds, "Yokas, hang back."  
  
Bosco leans over to her and asks quietly, "What's this about?"   
  
"I don't know." She answers, getting up from her chair. They both walk over to Lieu and he tells Bosco to go get their gear. Bosco looking baffled, says with a shrug, "ok".  
  
"Is everything all right at home Faith?"   
  
"Yah" she says trying to read his face.  
  
"You and your husband are recovered from your health problems?"   
  
"Yah Lieu. What's..."  
  
"And your kids...your daughter's doing good now"   
  
"What exactly is this all about?"   
  
"I know that you've been under a lot of stress lately".  
  
"Yah, so...what...you're just concerned? Is that why you're asken me all this?" You can hear it in her voice that she is getting agitated.  
  
"I'm asking you this because we've received several complaints about your behavior lately...out on your watch."  
  
"Complaints! What kind of complaints?"   
  
Lieu starts reading from a piece of paper, "Her demeanor was threatening, her attitude was aggressive to the point of violent... I was afraid for my own safety. If it wasn't for her partner stepping in and containing her..." his voice broke off as he glanced at her over the paper. He studied her reaction.  
  
She grabs the paper out of his hand and says, "What the hell is this? Who said these things?"   
  
"They were anonymous calls to the desk. But there were three this week and two last week."   
  
"So some jag off-drug addict calls and bad mouths me and doesn't have the stones to leave his name, and you believe him?"   
  
"Relax Faith, I'm not putting it in your record. We're just talking here. Maybe you need to talk to someone, you know...we have good counseling programs."  
  
"Lieu, this did not happen." Her voice was getting louder. "If anything, this complaint might be about Bosco, but I never did this."   
  
Lieu's voice was patronizing, "Faith, the complaints all specifically say female officer and they mention you by name. I don't put a lot into this but there was more than one call. I'm just telling you to be on your best behavior for a while. If we get any more complaints..."  
  
"And I'm telling you that this never happened." She puts her hands on her hips and looks around the room. She spots Bosco standing in the doorway. "Bosco! Come in here." then turning to Lieu, "Ask him about it." she demands, shoving the paper into Lieu's hands.  
  
Bosco walks in a little sheepishly glancing from Faith to Lieu. "All right" Lou starts, "have you noticed if your partner has been a little on edge lately? Maybe a little short tempered?" and looking down at the paper he reads "a little threatening?"   
  
Bosco says with a smirk "You mean more than she is right now? I don't know Lieu, I guess it depends on what time of the month it is."   
  
She turns abruptly and glares at him.   
  
Bosco says "What is this?" He grabs the paper out of Lieu's hand and starts reading out loud. "She threatened to do me bodily harm. Her partner wrestled her away from me." a big grin comes to his face. "Oh this is rich. And it isn't about me." He reads on chuckling. "Her partner was embarrassed by her actions. He apologized for her several times."  
  
Faith folds her arms and rolls her eyes.  
  
Bosco gets a serious look on his face and says "Look boss, Yokas really has never acted like that." And then he leans towards Lieu and whispers "I don't want you to have to pull her off me." He is grinning from ear to ear until Faith steps towards him, puts her face within inches of his and says in a threatening tone "This isn't helping."  
  
  
  
[55 David is on patrol in their RMP]  
  
Bosco is driving. He looks over at Faith who is brooding out the window, and says, "This is gonna be a bad day, isn't it?"  
  
Faith gives him a 'don't get me started look' and then the radio sounds off.  
  
"55David we have a domestic disturbance at 105 at Union."  
  
"Oh great." Faith grabs her radio. "55David responding. 105 at Union." She glares at Bosco.  
  
He looks back and forth from her to the road. "What?"   
  
"Nothing." She answers. "Just Drive."  
  
Shortly, they pull up at the address and go inside the building. As they walk up to the door they can hear yelling from inside. They both pull out their nightsticks and Bosco knocks on the door. "Police. Open up."  
  
From inside they hear a man yell in a drunken slur, "You called the police on me?" And then an equally drunk female voice answer, "I dint call them. Those busy body neighbors." Then she screams loudly "Mind yer own damn business. Go away!"   
  
Faith rolls her eyes and raps on the door harder. "It's the police. Open the door. NOW!"  
  
A plump old woman with graying blonde hair opens the door. She steadies herself with the doorframe, raises a hand to gently smooth back a loose strand of hair and sweetly says, "Yes ossifers. Can I help you?"  
  
Bosco and Faith exchange a glance and then Bosco says, "We got a complaint that there was a disturbance here ma'am."   
  
A skinny old guy in a food stained t-shirt walks up behind the woman, stumbles two steps sideways, then three steps towards the door and says, "Who is at the door sweetie."   
  
Faith says, "We got a report that there was yelling here. Were you two fighting sir?"  
  
"No ma'am. We are in love." He gives the woman a squeeze. "Ain't that right baby?"  
  
"We sure are." She replies squinting her eyes and smiling.  
  
"Then what was that yelling I heard coming from your apartment?" Bosco asks.  
  
"That must have been the neighbors." The old man says swaying.  
  
"From 'Your' apartment." Bosco repeats.  
  
"Ohhh...they fight all the time." the old guy says.  
  
"And what were the neighbors fighting about in 'your' apartment?" Faith asks.  
  
The old woman answers, "Probally her bastard husband drank all the whiskey!"  
  
"Well you hid the vodka!" He barks back.  
  
The woman takes a swipe at the old guy. He covers his head and runs into the other room. The two officers step in and Bosco contains the old woman. Faith follows the old man into the living room. The TV is on, there are two easy chairs propped in front of it and a table between them. On the table is one empty glass, and a second glass full of ice and a clear liquid which the old guy grabs.  
  
"Ha...I got your damn drink." he says as he plops himself down into one of the chairs.  
  
The old lady starts flailing to get away from Bosco. Faith runs over to help him calm her down. After a few minutes of explaining to her that she has to stop arguing and quiet down, they realize that the old man has passed out in his chair.  
  
The old lady runs over to him, grabs the vodka from his hand and slumps into her chair. She grabs the remote off the table and says "Ha...I got the control now." and starts watching TV as though the officers were not there.  
  
Bosco looks at Faith and says "Should we go?"  
  
Faith says "They seem pretty quiet now. Especially him."  
  
[Meanwhile, 55 Charlie is on patrol]  
  
Sully and Davis are in their RMP, and Davis is telling Sully about his latest girlfriend, when the radio interrupts him. 'All units in the 55, in the vicinity of 108 between first and second. Man down. See the woman on the street.' Davis grabs the radio and calls in, "55 Charlie responding. 108 between first and second." He turns on the siren and Sully speeds off in that direction.  
  
They arrive at the scene to a crowd of people, waving at them to hurry. They rush over to an alley where they find a man laying on the ground in a pool of blood. Sully bends over the man, who is non responsive, and radios in for a bus in a rush. The man was wearing a purple turban. He has been beaten severely about the head and torso. His eye is already swollen shut and there is blood coming from his mouth and his ear.   
  
As Sully tends to the man, Davis starts questioning the crowd. The information they give is that a group of young men, all white and wearing brown camouflage clothing, were standing in a group on the street corner. The man in the turban walked out of the store, and as he passed them, the group all turned on him. They dragged him down into the alley and started kicking him, and beating him with baseball bats. No one heard any words exchanged before the attack. It appeared to the witnesses that it was unprovoked.  
  
Within minutes the paramedics arrive and hurry over to the man; Alex carrying two heavy medical bags and Kim carrying a red back board. They both kneel beside the man. Alex starts taking the man's pulse and blood pressure, and Kim listens for breathing sounds and checks the man's pupils and his ears. They exchange medical information with each other, as Kim slips a neck brace on the man. They decide they need to transport him immediately, and as they gently roll the man onto his side, Sully slips the board under his back.   
  
The paramedics, assisted by the two officers, lift the man onto a gurney and slide him into the back of the bus. Sully tells Davis that he will meet him at Mercy as soon as he clears things up at the scene, as Davis and Alex climb into the back with the victim. As Kim climbs into the drivers seat, Sully shuts the door then bangs on the back to signal Kim that it is safe to pull away.   
  
[Later]  
  
It is shortly after 11:00 p.m. and the officers of the third watch are in the locker room changing into their civvies. Their shift has ended and they are discussing the events of their evening. Considering what they do for a living, they all had a fairly uneventful shift.  
  
Faith is standing at the mirror combing her hair after having pulled her sweater on over her head. She casually tells whoever is listening, "So we get called to a robbery in the projects, and this young black girl answers the door holding a baby. I ask her if I can speak to her mother and she gets this attitude. I tell her someone called about a robbery, and she says that she's the one that called us. It seems that she signed her welfare check over to her boyfriend so he could go buy her diapers and groceries and she hasn't seen him in two days. Surprise. And she wants us to go find him and bring him back...with her groceries."  
  
The guys all snicker, and she continues, "Behind her I can see four more babies, all younger than...like six, playing on the floor in all the filth in this apartment. So I ask her how long she's been running this baby sitting business...you know, coz she's collecten welfare...and she tells me she ain't babysitten, all the kids are hers. Is that pathetic or what. She doesn't have a pot to piss in, no job, no husband, a boyfriend who steals the food from her babies mouths, and she just keeps spitten out more babies. Not even smart enough to hold onto her welfare check."   
  
Davis shakes his head and asks, "How old was she?"  
  
Faith says, "I don't know but she was just a kid herself."   
  
"So what did you do?"  
  
Bosco pipes in, "Nothen. It's too late to help her. What she needed was to be spayed at the age of thirteen."  
  
Tucking in his shirt, Sully changes the subject. "We got called to another act of street vengeance today."  
  
"A towel head?" Bosco chirps in.  
  
Sully sighs, and says "He's from Jordan. He's a doctor."  
  
"That's seven attacks now isn't it?" Faith asks.  
  
"Eight." Davis offers. "Two were shop owners. Four were cab drivers. I don't know about the seventh guy, I think he was a student, and now this doctor."  
  
Sully continues, "Witnesses said that a gang of white guys wearing desert camouflage jumped him. Beat him half to death."  
  
"Is he gonna be alright?" Faith asks as she gathers her things.  
  
"I doubt it." Sully says sadly, slamming his locker closed.  
  
"Well you can't really blame them." Bosco says as he pulls on his coat. Then he realizes that everyone stopped what they were doing and is looking at him in disgust, so he adds, "We 'are' at war with them."  
  
"Do you mean with the country of Jordan or with Doctors?" Faith says angrily. "You don't seriously believe that they have a right to just wander the streets beating up anyone they want."  
  
"No...that's Bosco's job." Sully says sarcastically.  
  
"I didn't say they were right." Bosco says trying to explain himself. "I just meant that the country is at war and they probably feel that they are doing their part for homeland security." He sees the looks he is still getting from everyone and adds, "I agree they should be stopped, ok?"  
  
Davis says, "They could do their part by joining up and going over there to fight. We don't need them here on the streets killing doctors and cab drivers."   
  
Faith says good night and heads towards the door. Sully offers to walk out with her. Bosco asks Davis if he'd like to get a drink with him at his mothers bar, and Davis tells him that he has a date. They all walk out of the precinct together, and head off in different directions. 


	2. Chapter two

Previously in this story: Lieu tells Faith that they have been receiving anonymous complaints about her behavior on duty, accusations which she adamantly denies happened. Sully and Davis respond to a call involving street vengeance, in which the foreign victims are being brutalized by a gang of white men in desert camouflage.   
  
~Chapter two~  
  
Bosco enters the bar. His mother is waiting on a customer so he wanders down to the end and hops on a stool. She walks over to him without looking up and says "What can I do for you?"  
  
He answers, "How 'bout a hug."   
  
"Maurice!" She leans way over the bar and grabs him by his shirt, pulls him towards her over the bar and kisses him on his cheek, smearing it with lipstick. A red-headed woman slowly walks up and slides onto the stool next to him. She watches them exchange hugs and then jumps in with, "If you're gonna keep all the cute ones for yourself, I'm gonna find another bar to hang out at."  
  
His mother sets a glass down in front of her and says, "This is my son Maurice. Maurice, this is Allison." She pulls out a beer, opens it, and sets it down in front of Bosco. Then she starts pouring a drink in the empty glass. "You want a Scotch on the rocks, right? The drink is on the house if you can get my son to think about settling down and giving me grandchildren." To which Allison replies "Well I can try."  
  
Soon, she and Bosco are sitting sideways on the stools facing each other. They are each leaning on the opposite elbow, with their faces within inches of each other. She is giggling like a school girl at everything he says. He looks her over. She is not bad looking. She is probably a bit older than him and wearing a little too much make-up, but he has picked up worse. They are on their second drink, and Bosco is getting ready to ask her if she'd like to leave and go to his place, when his cell phone rings.  
  
"Don't answer it." She pleads.   
  
"It could be important." He says, pulling it out and glancing at the number. "I gotta take this." He turns the phone on and says "Boscorelli here." A woman's voice on the other end says, "Be at my place in twenty minutes."...then hangs up. Bosco says into the dead receiver, "Un huh, when? Ok I'll be right there." He puts the phone back into his pocket and says, "Duty calls, I gotta go. I'm sorry."   
  
She takes his hand and in a pouty voice asks, "Will you call me?"  
  
"I will. I'll get your number from my ma, ok?"   
  
[At the same time]  
  
Davis stops at an ATM machine on his way over to pick up his date. He met her at the Y where he shoots hoops with his buddies. She had come to pick up her brother Jessy one night, and they were introduced. Her name is Jackie and she is pretty, slender, and tall. Her hair is long and straight with light streaks through it that accent her light brown eyes.   
  
Davis was quite taken by her looks the minute he saw her. He struck up a conversation with her as she waited for Jessy to gather his things, and noticed she was a bit shy. He asked her if she was a model and that tickled her. She let out a small laugh, and told Davis that she worked at the post office. Davis thought to himself that even her smile was sweet. He wasted no time in asking her out on a date, to which she replied that she would like that, however, she works the B shift and it was hard for her to date because of the weird hours she has to work. Four to Midnight. When Davis told her that he works the same shift, they joked that it was fate, that they met.   
  
Davis knocks at her door, and she lets him in. They kiss hello and she steps back, lifts her arms out to her side and says, "Do I look ok? I didn't know what to wear because I didn't know where we were going. Should I change?"  
  
He looks her over and smiles. "You look fine." She is wearing jeans and a red sweater, pulled over a white t-shirt and very little make-up. Davis thinks to himself that she has simple beauty. She could be wearing sweat pants and a torn flannel, and she would still look great. He asks her where she'd like to go for their date.  
  
Thinking it over she replies, "What if we go rent a movie and pick up some wine and a pizza, and just stay in tonight. I've been on my feet all day and it would be nice to just relax. What do you think?"  
  
"That would be great. You pick out the movie and I'll pick out the pizza."   
  
[Meanwhile]  
  
Bosco is sitting on the steps to Cruz's apartment building. She said twenty minutes but it's been an hour since she called. He pulls out his cell phone, then reconsiders and puts it away. He decides it will make him look desperate if he calls her. He waits another ten minutes and looks at his watch. He thinks to himself that he should call her. Then changes his mind again. Doesn't he look just as desperate sitting here waiting for hours? He wonders to himself, why he is so obsessed with her? Is it love? He thinks not. Yet he thinks about her all day. Even when he was talking to the red head at the bar, he was thinking of Cruz.  
  
She is not like anyone he has ever met. She is bossy and over powering. Controlling. Demanding. She doesn't just want things her way, she 'has' things her way. You do what she wants or get out of her way. Is that what draws him to her, he wonders? Or maybe it is the sex. God the sex is wild. Primal. Making love to her is like making love to a savage. It's like she can't get enough of you. She has to use you up. And when she does, you never know if she will ever call you again, so you have to take what she offers, when she offers it.   
  
He considers leaving. He would love to see what her reaction would be if he wasn't there, but he figures that she probably wouldn't even notice. He will give her just ten more minutes. He could have been home by now with that red head. He was so preoccupied with Cruz that he can't even remember the red head's name. Finally Cruz pulls up in front of the building. She walks past him up the steps without a word and unlocks the door. He stands and says to her, "What took you so long?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You said twenty minutes. I've been waiting over an hour."   
  
"I'm here now. No body said you had to wait." She says casually.  
  
"I was just worried, that's all." he lied. He follows her into the hallway and down to her door. As she fumbles for the key, he whispers in her ear from behind, "I've been thinken about jumping you all day."  
  
She turns and grabs his face with both hands, pushing him backwards across the hall and they slam into the wall together. She starts kissing him hard, and scratching his neck and shoulders. They are rubbing hard against each other and groping wildly. They start pulling off each others coats. An old woman from the apartment they are pounding against, opens the door and starts yelling at them in Spanish. Panting hard, they shuffle to the door of her apartment and go inside, slamming the door.  
  
[The next day]  
  
A black girl in her twenties is using a public telephone on the sidewalk. She is wearing a dirty green wool cap pulled down tightly on her head. The glove on her left hand has holes in it and it doesn't match the glove on her right hand, which is holding the phone receiver to her ear. Her conversation ends with, "My name? I'm not gonna give you my name so that vicious bitch 'Yokas' can come and slap me around some more. You just better get her off the streets." She slams the phone down and before she can turn around, a hand grabs her by the collar of her coat and pulls her away from the phone, and slams her up against the building.   
  
"Hey! I did like you said." She holds her hands up as if to ward off a blow.  
  
"That's right, Sparkel. You did fine. I'm gonna over look that dime bag I found on you, but if you tell anyone about this I'm gonna have ta come back here and hurt your sorry ass."  
  
"I ain't gonna tell no one. Can I have my dime bag back?"  
  
Sergeant Cruz swings the girl around by the front of her coat and pulls her into the alley throwing her into a pile of garbage. "What dime bag?"  
  
"Aw c'mon, I did you a favor. You owe me."  
  
Cruz looks around the alley. There's a drunk holding onto the wall trying to stagger to his feet half way down. Cruz points her finger at the girl and says, "Make yourself lost, Sparkel, before I find a reason to mess you up." She then walks back to her car and peels away.  
  
[55-Charlie hits the streets]  
  
Ty is sitting in the RMP as Sully walks up to his window carrying two cups of coffee. Ty rolls the window down and takes a cup from Sully, thanking him. Sully walks around to the drivers side and slides in, being careful not to spill his coffee. "So how was your date last night?" Sully asks.  
  
"It was great. We stayed in and cuddled on the couch with a movie"  
  
"This is...how many dates with this girl?" Sully asks.  
  
"This is our fifth."  
  
"That's some kind of record for you isn't it?"  
  
"I don't know Sully, I think I'm gonna be breaking all kinds of personal records with this girl. I really like her."  
  
"I'll believe that in a few months if you two are still together."  
  
Suddenly Ty says as he points, "Whoa, Sully...look over there."  
  
"Where?" Sully says, looking in the direction Ty is pointing. "What am I looking at?"  
  
"Across the street, one block up on the corner. There's a guy in camouflage. You think he may be one of the group we're looking for?"  
  
"Won't hurt to ask him." Sully starts the car and looks over his shoulder to see if it is clear to pull away from the curb. There is a long line of traffic coming and they have to wait. "Keep an eye on him, this is gonna take a while."  
  
Davis is watching and as a small delivery type truck stops at the light next to him, the guy in camouflage bends down, looking into the passenger window and starts talking to the guy in the truck. The driver glances over and then looks straight ahead again at the light, as if to ignore the young man on the corner. So the young man walks around the front of the truck, arms flailing and approaches the drivers window. Davis notices that suddenly there are four more guys in camouflage coming around the back of the truck.   
  
"Oh my God Sully, it's them. We gotta go. Let's go."  
  
Sully glances over and sees one guy pull the driver out of the truck, and the rest of them swarm over him, dragging him around the back of the truck and out of sight . He throws the lights and siren on. Davis grabs his radio and calls for 'immediate' back up, as Sully starts edging the car away from the curb, into on-coming traffic.   
  
The approaching traffic finally stops and Sully shoots across the street diagonally and pulls up next to the truck. Davis jumps out and runs around the back of the truck as Sully jumps out and runs around the front of the truck.   
  
The group of young men scatter and two of them run away from Davis and straight towards Sully. Pointing his gun, he yells at them to stop and put down the bats they are holding, but he ducks when one takes a swing at him with the bat. Bosco and Faith come screaming up and block their escape. One slides over the hood of the car, and tries to keep going. Bosco jumps out of the driver's seat and tackles him from behind.  
  
The second one chooses to run around the car to the left, and runs straight into Faith, who wraps him up and spins him to the ground. Sully quickly hops onto the guy and cuffs him.  
  
The other three run in the opposite direction, followed closely by Davis. He catches up to the slowest one and grabbing him by the back of the shirt, pulls him to the ground, and quickly cuffs him. The other two run down to the next corner, turn left and out of sight. Davis lifts his perp off the ground and leads him back to the scene. Bosco and Faith search their perps, while Sully looks around for the driver.   
  
The victim is trying to climb back into his truck. Sully says to him, "Sir, I need you to stay here. I called an ambulance for you. You really need to get checked out."  
  
The man looks at Sully with terror on his face and says, "No no. I am good. I go now."   
  
"No...sir, you have to file charges against these guys. They have done this before." He can see the man is very scared. He is also bleeding. "The paramedics are on their way. Let us help you."   
  
He grabs the door of the truck and takes the man by the arm. The man's eyes grow larger and he yells, "No leave me go. I want no help!" He shakes Sully's hand off, pulls the door of the truck closed and pulls away, leaving Sully standing there. Bosco offers to go after the guy, but Sully says, "No let him go. He's scared to death. We got other witnesses who should be able to identify these guys."  
  
As the officers escort the camouflaged young men to the patrol cars, the victim in the truck slowly drives a block up the street, turns right, pulling onto the sidewalk and drives the truck right through the front doors of the army recruitment office, detonating the explosives he had hidden in the back of his truck, with an explosion that rattles buildings and breaks windows on both sides of the street.   
  
The officers and their charge, duck as they are sprayed with debris and broken glass. Sully shields his face with his arm and then turns back staring in shock and disbelief. They are all bleeding from the shrapnel of tiny shards of glass.   
  
As the falling debris and dust settle, the air is now filled with screams and car alarms. People are running out of buildings to see what happened and others are running away from the explosion. Some are making their way up the street, assisting others or calling for help. People are running, desperate and confused. Others wander slowly, in shock. Everyone is dazed and covered with glass. As the officers get to their feet, and survey the scene unfolding before them, they realize the magnitude of what just happened.  
  
The officers place their prisoners into the back of the patrol cars and run towards the point of the explosion, calling in for help. As they approach, they encounter numerous people injured from the explosion, burnt and bleeding. All of them in shock. Fire trucks and EMTs start arriving. The officers start helping people to a spot on the sidewalk, to be used as a make shift triage for the paramedics to start assessing their injuries.   
  
Sully finds a spot in the building where people are trying to climb out through the rubble. Davis and Faith start checking the people in their cars that were on the street when the explosion happened. Faith calls over her radio for EMS to hurry. Bosco helps a woman over to the triage, where Kim and Doc have arrived.   
  
Soon the fire/rescue teams have arrived and set up a command post, and are organizing the different squads into position and assessing reports of the stability of the structures nearby. The police chiefs from three different precincts have arrived and lieutenant Swerski and sergeant Cruz also arrive. Lieu approaches the chief and tells him that two of their units, 55 Charlie and 55 David were on the scene when the explosion happened and called it in first. The chief tells him to radio them, and have them report to the command post.   
  
Cruz walks away from them and radios in to Bosco and asks his location. He radios back to her that he is on the north side of the building, and within a few minutes she finds him. The radio sounds off for 55 Charlie and 55 David to report to the command post, but Bosco ignores it when he sees Cruz approaching. She asks him, "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yah, I'll be ok."   
  
"What happened? Lieu says you were here at the scene."  
  
"We responded to a call for backup from Sully. They were trying to arrest a group of guys dressed in camouflage. We came up to help and one guy got in the truck and drove it right into the building. Then KABOOM...the building was flying at us."  
  
"What happened to the rest of them?" She asked.  
  
"I got two in my squad and Sully has one."  
  
"Good work she says." She starts to run off then turns back and adds, "I'm glad you're ok."  
  
It takes a while for the officers to work their way over, but the four officers finally report to the command post to be questioned by the chief. Sully starts explaining that Davis spotted the one guy in camouflage and that they were going to question him in connection with the other attacks. Before they could get across the street, there was a whole gang of them, and they attacked the man in his truck. 55 David arrived and they were all trying to round up the gang, when the driver got in the truck and drove off. He drove into the building and blew it up.  
  
The chief says to Sully, "You mean you just let the guy drive away?"  
  
Sully looks down at the ground in regret as Bosco jumps in. "We tried to stop him. Told him the EMTs were on their way...he wouldn't listen."  
  
Faith adds, "The guy looked terrified, we thought, because of the beating. We had no idea what he was planning. As far as we knew, he was the victim, not a perp."  
  
And Davis added, "We were out numbered, tryen to grab as many as we could."  
  
"Ok. Where are these guys now?"  
  
"In the squad cars." Bosco answers.  
  
The chief says "Well, lets get them down to the squad right away and question them. Find out what they knew about this bomber...we can't afford to loose these guys."   
  
They all walk over to the RMPs, still parked on the corner, and they discover the cars are both empty. The chief yells, "Where the hell are they?" The officers, shocked, start asking people nearby if they saw anyone let the suspects out of the car. No one saw anything. They look around desperately.   
  
The chief begins yelling at them. How could they leave the suspects unattended. What were they thinking. How could they be so incompetent. He tells the lieutenant to go back to the house with them, have them make out detailed reports, and turn in their badges and weapons. They will each be docked a months pay and they are all being placed on suspension until further notice.   
  
************ 


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.  
  
Authors Note: Thanks for the reviews...this story is going to have a lot of twist and turns...hope you stay with me.  
  
Previously in this story: Davis is dating a girl that he is starting to get serious with. Bosco is secretly sleeping with Cruz, who is the one behind the complaints filed against Faith. Davis and Sully go after the street vengeance gang, and with the help of Yokas and Bosco, they apprehend three of them. But when the victim of the beating, leaves the scene and blows up a building, the officers loose the three prisoners out of their RMPs during the commotion, causing the Chief of police to place all of them on suspension.   
  
~Chapter three~  
  
Back at the precinct, Lieu gives each of the officers a manila envelope to place their badges and guns in as he starts filling out the paperwork on the suspensions.   
  
Faith says, "This isn't right Lieu, we were trying to help people. Can he really suspend us for a month without pay? I can't afford that." Bosco adds, "Like I can."  
  
The lieutenant replies, "He 'is' the Chief of police, he can do what ever he thinks necessary."  
  
"I'm sorry about this you guys." Sully says. "Ya know Lieu, this was my collar. These guys were just backing me up."  
  
"You can plead your case to the Chief tomorrow if you want."  
  
Just then the door to the lock-up opens and Cruz and four of her detectives come walking out, followed by Gusler who is congratulating them, and they head up the stairs. Bosco asks Gusler what that was all about and he informs them that Cruz and her ACU team caught the bombers.  
  
"The bomber is dead." Ty says puzzled. They all exchange glances and hurry into the lock-up, to find their three suspects in the holding cell.  
  
"Son of a bitch!" Sully yells, and storms out of the room, followed by Ty.  
  
Bosco says almost to himself, "She brought them in for us."  
  
Faith says angrily, "Don't you dare try to cover for her. She stole our collars and got us all suspended."  
  
Lieu says, "So these are your suspects?"  
  
Faith says, "Yes...These are 'our' suspects. Does this mean we are off the hook Lieu?"   
  
"I'll have to hear what Cruz has to say about it. And then run it by the Chief."  
  
Bosco looks up quickly and yells, "Sully...we gotta stop him."  
  
They hurry out the door and up the stairs, where they find Sully and Cruz yelling at each other. Davis is standing between them, and two of Cruz's detectives are holding Sully back.  
  
The lieutenant yells at everyone to calm down. Sully barks, "This son of a bitch took our suspects...right out of our cars! I want her badge."  
  
Cruz retorts with, "You better pull in his reigns Lieu, before I write him up for disorderly conduct to a superior officer."  
  
The lieutenant asks her, "Where did you find these suspects, Maritza?"  
  
"I got them out of their patrol cars...it's true. But the suspects were left unattended. That is unacceptable. They are lucky I didn't write them up for that. In fact, they are lucky that they lost the suspects to me and not the streets. They should be thanking me."  
  
"Thanking You! You smug little bitch." Sully lunges at her, grabbing her arm hard. All the officers pull them apart.  
  
"Knock it off!" Lieu yells "Why didn't you tell anyone that you were removing them from the patrol cars?"  
  
Bosco says, "She did." At the same time she says, "I am a sergeant, I don't need to explain myself to them."  
  
The lieutenant says, "Ok. When the Chief gets back we'll sort this all out."   
  
Cruz glares at the officers and says, "If you'll excuse me now, I have some suspects to question." And Lieu says angrily, "I believe you all have some reports to write? Let's get to it."  
  
***********  
  
Cruz walks out of the room, glaring at Sully. Who the hell does that fat bastard think he's talking to. Nobody talks to her that way...and gets away with it. Especially a worthless patrol cop. He will regret having crossed her, just like Yokas will soon regret having mouthed off to her. They, with their simplistic minds, are no match for her street smarts. She grew up surviving on the streets by being creatively sneaky and void of the complications of a conscience. And she survives in her job the same way.   
  
When Cruz first brought the three men in, one of them did all the talking for the other two. Maritza goes to the lock-up and pulls him out, and takes him to an interrogation room. She tells one of her detectives to stay outside the room and make sure no one turns on the speaker to listen while she questions him. And if anyone tries, he is to knock on the window and warn her.  
  
She goes into the room with the guy and he immediately asks for a lawyer.   
  
"All in good time. The way I see it...you three morons think that because the guy you attacked was a terrorist, that we're gonna over look all the innocent victims you hurt. That ain't gonna happen...unless you can tell me something about the bomber that I can use. Who he was, where he lived, who he knows. That sort of thing." He says nothing and she continues, "When did you first notice the detonation device, and all that money in the front seat?"   
  
"I ain't telling you nothin without a lawyer."  
  
"A huh, that's what I thought. You idiots had no clue. You just pulled some mope off the street based on his nationality. And 'that' is a racially motivated act of violence. You are in some serious trouble. It's too bad that you guys are going away for such a long time. You were just starting to make a dent. But if you won't let me help you...there's nothing I can do."  
  
She gets up to leave and he says, "Why would you want to help me?"  
  
"Because what you're doing is making my job easier. And because I can relate to you. You see a problem, you go and take care of it. With out all the red tape and paperwork. That...is a little how I work." She leans in closer to him and talks almost in a whisper. "See I have a problem. And there is a way we can help solve each others problems, but I don't feel you being very helpful."  
  
"Yah? What is your problem?"  
  
"The cop that arrested you, the fat guy...he is my problem. He is a crooked cop. I'm tryin to bust this drug ring that is selling bad heroine. There are kids dying all over the city, but I can't touch them because this cop is on the take. He keeps giving them inside information and they keep giving him cash to warn them when we are coming."  
  
"So how can I help you with that? And how will that help me?"  
  
"If you were to say that you saw the money, and the detonator in the bomber's truck, then you would have had a pretty good reason to try and stop that guy. That would make you heroes. And if the bomber was to offer a cop money to let him go, that cop would be in some deep trouble. 'If ' there were witnesses that saw this happen, of course."  
  
"Was there money and a detonator in the truck?"  
  
"You tell me...I wasn't there. And the truck is in pieces all over the city so I can't prove that there was...and I can't prove that there wasn't. All that I would have to go on...is the word of three eyewitnesses and the money that the officer took. I'll make sure it will be found, hidden somewhere in his apartment. So you tell me...is that what you saw?"  
  
"Yah, I saw that."  
  
"Well I'll tell you what...I'll let you go back to your buddies, and you can find out if they saw that too. And tomorrow, you can all sit down with your lawyers, and you can tell them. In the mean time, I will make sure that the money you saw, is where it should be."  
  
***********  
  
It is deadly silent while the officers sit at their desks making out their reports. Faith looks around at the others. Bosco keeps writing then crossing out then erasing. Davis is chewing his pencil as he re-reads what he had written. And Sully is looking down at his blank paper. His stare is far away and he looks very upset.  
  
"Are you ok Sully?" Faith asks concerned. After a long pause, "Sully...you alright?"  
  
They all look over at him as he looks up from his stupor, and says, "What? Yah...I need to get out of here."  
  
Faith says, "This day was really a bastard, huh? I got an idea, why don't we all take our reports to that diner up the street and we can finish them up over there. Get away from here for a while. What do ya say?"  
  
Ty says, "I'll take a pass. I'm almost done and I'm goin home to bed."  
  
Bosco says, "That's all I need...distractions. I'll never get this done."  
  
So Faith says, "Looks like it's just you and me Sully. Ok? I'm done with my report, I can help you with yours."  
  
He looks at her for a few seconds and then says, "Why not. I can get some real coffee."  
  
The two walk to the diner. Faith tries to make conversation with him but he is obviously not listening, so she gives up, and they walk on in silence. Inside the diner, they are sitting, facing each other in a booth. As she blows on her coffee, she watches Sully's face, trying to read his mood. He looks sad and worried. She finally says, "I don't think the chief is really gonna suspend us with no pay for a month."  
  
He says, "Yah. Probably not."  
  
That is not what is bugging him so she tries another approach. "Listen, me and Bos don't blame you for what happened. We responded to a call for backup, and..."  
  
"I know that." He says cutting her off.   
  
She watches him sitting there looking very forlorn and she can not figure out what is bothering him, so she comes right out and asks him. "What's troubling you Sul?"  
  
His eyes are gazing down at the table and he says, "All those people got hurt because of me. I had that guy. I had my hand on his arm and I let him drive away." Faith never considered that Sully was blaming himself for the explosion. "How could I have not seen, that something was wrong with that guy. He was acting too weird...too scared for someone being saved. It's my job to notice that stuff."   
  
She says, "There was no way you could have known what he was planning to do."  
  
"I know." He looks up and says, "Really...I know that. But..." Sully starts to wring his hands nervously. "I felt bad for the guy, ya know? I should have let those punks kill him. I saved him. I should have forced him to wait. So many people were hurt..."   
  
"You can't pick and choose who to save." she tells him.  
  
Faith listens as he vents his frustration. There is really nothing she can say to make him feel better. It was just one of those things that suck about the job. Yesterday they couldn't save a doctor from those same guys. A doctor who helps people. Today they save a man, that turns around and kills ten or eleven people. It isn't fair. And you just have to accept that for what it is.   
  
"Still cryin about losin your collar?"  
  
They look up to see Cruz and Bosco standing there. Sully rolls his eyes with disgust. Bosco makes a motion like he is about to sit but Faith doesn't move over. Instead she says, "I thought you weren't coming."  
  
"I changed my mind. Sarge offered to buy...you know to make nice."  
  
"Yah...she must have worked up quite an appetite catching those perps." Then she turns to Sully and says, "What with all the car doors she had to open and all."  
  
"Cruz slaps Bosco in the stomach with the back of her hand and says, "C'mon, we'll get our own table. Let these two continue consoling each other."  
  
When the food comes, Sully and Faith pick at it in silence. Neither one eats very much. Finally Sully says, "Ya know...I've had enough. I think I'm just gonna head home and get some rest...do the report in the morning." Faith agrees to that and they get up to leave. Faith pulls some money out of her pocket and Sully says, "No I got it." He walks over to the waitress, says a few words to the girl and joins Faith at the door.   
  
Faith noticed that Sully never handed her any money. "What did you say to her?"  
  
"I told her that the Sarge offered to pick up the tab. You know...to make nice." She nods and they walk out together. "I don't know how you do it Faith."  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Put up with Bosco. He was annoying enough before he became a Cruz puppet."  
  
"To be honest with you, I've been askin myself that too. He idolizes her and I can't see why. At first I thought he was just suckin up to get on Anti crime...but now...it's more than that. I think he's been sleeping with her...he denied it but I know it's true. I always felt that, no matter what, Bosco had my back. But now...I feel like I hafta watch my back. Especially when she's around. He's always stickin up for her, and I just don't trust her. And I know he don't see that in her."   
  
**************** 


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.   
  
Previously in this story: The officers find out that the suspects they lost, were actually taken by Cruz. When she booked them and took credit for their arrest, Sully got into an argument with her, and threatened to report her. To get even with him, she fabricates a story for the suspects that will get them off the hook and get Sully in trouble.   
  
~Chapter Four~  
  
[The day after the explosion]  
  
Faith, Bosco, Sully and Ty, all get a call telling them to report to the station. The Lieutenant had a talk with the chief and convinced him not to suspended the officers. They are however, all getting a reprimand in their files. They need to report to Lieu and get their guns and badges back.   
  
One by one they arrive in the locker room carrying their manila envelope. Davis is getting dressed as Sully walks in. Davis asks him how he's doing and Sully says sarcastically, "Just great. They're giving Cruz the collar on those guys. But...I'm not loosing a months pay so screw it."  
  
Bosco walks in next, all bouncy and excited. "Good morning boys. I told you Cruz would get us off the hook." He doesn't notice the dirty looks they just gave him. "Where's Faith?"  
  
"Haven't seen her yet." Davis answers as he slams his locker shut.  
  
"Good...I thought I was late."  
  
"You are...as usual." Sully says, then follows Davis out without waiting for a reply.  
  
Bosco hurries to get dressed, peeking over at Faith's locker. She doesn't show, so he heads out to roll call.  
  
After the debriefing, the Lieutenant tells Bosco he will be riding with Cruz. Bosco leans over to Sully and whispers, "Faith won't be in today?"  
  
"How should I know. Maybe they couldn't reach her to tell her she had to report. Or...maybe she's sick..." Adding, "...of riding with you."   
  
The Lieutenant dismisses them with a few words of caution and they all file out of the room. As Sully and Davis head for the equipment cage, they see Faith in the hallway.  
  
"Faith...you're late. Bosco rubbing off on you?" Sully says grinning.  
  
"No...I'm not workin today." As she talks, she is searching beyond him in the hallway, hoping to see Bosco. "Can we talk later...I need to catch Bos."   
  
"Ok...enjoy your day off."  
  
Cruz is walking down the stairs. She sees Faith walking away from Sully, obviously looking for Bosco. She notices that Faith is in her street clothes, and the left side of her mouth curls into a crooked smile. When Bosco finally walks into the hall, Faith calls to him. So Cruz calls him too.  
  
"Boscorelli...hurry up. I'm waiting."  
  
Bosco looks from Faith to Cruz like a kid torn between his mother calling him home and his buddies calling him out to play.   
  
"I'll be right there Sarge." Then he gives Faith an annoyed look as she approaches. "You're late. I'm ridin with Cruz today."  
  
"I got suspended." She says quietly.  
  
"No...they cancelled it. Didn't Lieu call you?"  
  
"Lieu called and told me he needed to speak to me in his office. They got another call about me at the desk. A complaint. That, on top of everything else...he suspended me for a week. And then I gotta do desk duty for another week."  
  
"A complaint about what?"   
  
Before Faith could respond, Cruz yells to Bosco again. "Boscorelli...get your ass out to the car NOW! I'm not waitin all day for you."  
  
"I'm comin!" he yells to her. "I gotta go Faith."  
  
"Bosco...someone called and said that I nearly attacked them yesterday. You know that never happened."  
  
"I know...did you tell Lieu that?"  
  
"Of course I did!" She yells. "He don't believe 'me'...I need you to go talk to him for me."  
  
"I can't right now...I gotta go." He starts to turn away and she grabs him by the arm and stops him.  
  
"Bosco...they are suspending me with no pay. I can't afford this. I need you to tal..."  
  
"I will Faith...but I can't right now...Cruz is..."  
  
"Yah...I know...she's waiting for you." Then she says in a softer tone, "I need your help Bosco...right now." She stares at him for a moment. "Just talk to the Lieutenant...tell him this stuff never happened and that this must be some kind of prank or..."  
  
"Faith...I will...I'll talk to him...as soon as we come back." He walks away from her quickly, and looking back he yells, "I promise."  
  
"Son of a bitch." She says under her breath. "Thanks a lot Bosco."  
  
[Soon afterward]  
  
Bosco is riding in the unmarked car as Cruz drives. She looks over at him and asks, "So what did Yokas want?"  
  
"She just wanted to tell me she wouldn't be in today."  
  
"She came 'in' to tell you she wasn't going to work today?" She scoffs.  
  
"No...something came up after she got here. An emergency." He says, hiding the truth.  
  
"Oh. Well...I hope everything is ok." She says, hiding a grin.  
  
"It will be." He tells her.  
  
His mind drifts back to yesterday. Who could have called in and complained? He tries to remember all the calls they responded to. The old couple...no, that was the day before. There was a fender bender, and then the back up for Sully. Nothing happened that would warrant anyone to be mad enough to call and report them. The whole thing is ridiculous anyway. Even when Faith is mad at him, she is always professional out in public.  
  
He thinks back to the other day when Lieu asked him if she's been short tempered. Now he feels guilty for making light of it. If he had just told Lieu then, how unfounded that was, maybe she wouldn't have gotten suspended. He made fun of her the other day and today he blew her off. She's got to be really pissed at him. He makes a mental note that later he will talk to the Lieutenant and make him understand that this is all a mistake...before she kills him.   
  
Cruz pulls up in front of a pawn shop. Bosco asks "What are we workin on today?"  
  
"Have you ever seen this guy?" She asks, pulling a mug shot out of a file.  
  
"No...who is he?"  
  
"His name is Raphael Ortiz. He has been in Rykers for the past five years. He got paroled a few months ago and we think he's connected to a string of robberies on the upper east end. We got a tip that he is pawning the stuff out this way."  
  
"So we're doin an inventory?" He asks.  
  
"No...we did that yesterday. Came up clean. Today...you're going to be here, so if the guy comes in, you can arrest him."  
  
"So...we're going to stake the place out." He deduces.  
  
"Sort of...you are goin undercover as an employee."   
  
Bosco's first thought is to voice his disapproval, but then he thinks better of it and says nothing. He can't afford to piss her off too.   
  
They go inside, and she notifies the owner that she is placing an undercover cop behind the counter, and reluctantly he agrees. She tells Bosco that she has some other stuff to attend to and she leaves him.   
  
She is not really looking for Raphael Ortiz, it was just an excuse to occupy Bosco so he doesn't interfere with her plans for Sully. She takes a book bag out of the trunk of the car and heads over to Sully's apartment. She picks the lock to his place, and once inside she places the book bag in a closet. It contains a few thousand dollars that she stole last night from a kid that runs numbers for a known bookie.   
  
Her plan has been set in motion. All she needs to do now is wait for the three morons in the holding cell, to tell their lawyers the cover story she gave them. Then Sullivan will never be a thorn in her side again.   
  
[55-Charlie is out on patrol]  
  
"Did you get your report done yesterday?" Davis asks.  
  
"No. I'm gonna do it later."  
  
"Ya better get it done...it was requested by the Chief."  
  
"I know who requested it." Sully says angrily.  
  
"Well...ya want me to drive...so you can do it while ya ride?"  
  
"No! I said I'm doin it later."  
  
"I know. I'm just sayin...you could get it done while..."  
  
"I said NO! I don't want to do it now, and I don't want to talk about it anymore."  
  
"Fine. Does that mean I can't drive?" Sully glares at him. Davis raises his eyebrows and looks away. "Fine."  
  
After a few blocks he says, "Sully...pull over at the corner."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Some of those meters are expired."  
  
"So!"  
  
"So I'm gonna ticket them." He sees the look Sully is giving him and he adds, "Well ya won't let me drive...I wanna do something. Just pull in there." He says pointing.  
  
Sully pulls the RMP over with a disgusted sigh. The two get out their ticket books and start walking up the street and writing tickets. A few minutes into it, central calls them on the radio and tells them to return to the precinct.   
  
Sully turns his head and speaks into the radio. "What's this about, central?"  
  
"The Lieutenant wants to see you." is the reply.  
  
"55-Charlie...heading home." he responds, then looks nervously at Davis.  
  
"I told ya to do that report."  
  
"Shut up." He growls back.  
  
[At the same time]  
  
Bosco is behind the counter at the pawn shop...not listening...as the owner shows him how to work the cash register. "This is the oldest register I've ever seen...what is it...from the thirties?"  
  
"Pay attention...this is important." The owner says, trying to be patient with him.  
  
"How hard can it be. You push the amount tendered," Bosco says pressing a few keys, "then hit this key to open the drawer." With that, he presses a key that makes a 'cha ching' sound, and the total changes.  
  
"No wait...here it is."   
  
'Cha ching'...the total disappears. "Wait...I got it." He presses another key. 'Cha ching' "Shit." He press another key and it sticks down.  
  
"No no...stop...you're doing it wrong." The owner says, trying to reach over Bosco's shoulder.  
  
Bosco tries pushing a few more keys and they stick too, so he pounds it hard. Another 'cha ching' and the total goes higher. "Shit...this don't work right."   
  
"Stop...you're gonna break it...let me..."  
  
'Cha ching' 'Cha ching' "This piece of shit is broken." 'cha ching'  
  
"It works...you're doing it wrong..."  
  
Bosco punches it hard and the drawer pops open. "There...I fixed it for ya."  
  
The frazzled man tells him, "Just go in the back and wait...I'll call you if any customers come in."   
  
  
  
[Back at the house]  
  
Sully and Davis walk into the precinct and walk up to the officer at the desk. "Angie...where's Lieu?"  
  
"Upstairs...and he's in a 'real' bad mood."  
  
"Great." Sully says under his breath. As he heads towards the stairs, Lieu is coming down with a detective. He sees Sully.  
  
"Sullivan...my office...NOW!" Davis starts to follow. "Davis...find Gusler and go back on patrol." He orders.  
  
"Ooooh-kay." Davis says quietly. He taps Sully on the shoulder with his fist and walks away.  
  
They enter Lieu's office and he slams the door. Lieu gathers a stack of papers off his desk and holds them up in the air. "I have here the paper work from yesterdays comedy of errors. Funny thing ...yours is not here."   
  
"I'm sorry Lieu. I didn't get it done yesterday." He says shuffling his feet nervously.  
  
"You didn't get it done? DID WE NOT GIVE YOU ENOUGH TIME? Having the Chief of police pull you off duty so that you could write it... That didn't suggest to you, that you should STAY until it was FINISHED?" He hollers.  
  
"I was pretty upset yesterday...I just couldn't think straight. And then there was that trouble with Cruz..."  
  
"Oh right...Cruz...well SHE had time to write a report." He throws a paper on the desk. "Her report is about YOU! About how insubordinate you were to a superior officer."  
  
Sully closes his eyes, lets out a deep breath, and nods his head towards floor. "Lieu...I'm sorry. What can I say? I have no good excuse. If you're gonna suspend me, just..."  
  
"Oh but there's more." Lieu cuts him off abruptly. "Remember the three suspects you lost to Cruz? Well even THEY had time to write statements." His voice gets even louder. "ABOUT YOU!" He throws more papers onto his desk. "And remember the alleged victim slash bomber that you let drive away? Well they say that he offered you money to let him go...and you took it and put it into the trunk of your car."   
  
"What! That's crazy. When would I have time to do that. The guy..."  
  
"Well...lets look in your report and SEE if you had time, shall we? That should clear this all up. Oh wait...YOU DIDN'T WRITE ONE!" He yells. "You have no report to prove you didn't talk to this guy. So let's see what everyone else says you were doing. While Yokas wrestled with Mr. Barkley..." He holds another paper in the air. "Yokas says you were TENDING to the VICTIM." He throws it onto the desk. "Bosco was rolling with Mr. Heath..." He holds another paper up. "His report says...you were TAKING CARE of the BOMBER." He tosses that paper. "And while Davis was chasing Mr. Cain and 'two' of his buddies..." Holding up the last paper, " he says you were ...SEEING TO GUY IN THE TRUCK!" He tosses the paper onto the stack. "Well that certainly clears things up Sullivan."   
  
"Lieu...the guy took off in his truck...I tried to stop him..." He looks from Lieu to the detective. "You don't really believe that he offered me money or that I would even take it if he did. That's nuts. Why would he even have money to offer, for Christ sakes...he was planning to kill himself."  
  
Although his face is still red, the veins in Lieu's neck started to go down as Lieu calms himself. "Well...they checked your RMP and it was clean. They're checking your apartment now. And your bank accounts too, to see if there were any large deposits made. If the story is bogus...you'll still be looking at an investigation by internal affairs and a suspension with out pay for all the other stuff. Give me your badge and your weapon."   
  
"Son of a bitch, they're searching my apartment? Shit, they're gonna destroy it!" He hands over his badge and gun and hurries home, where they have already found the money, and already destroyed the place.   
  
[At the end of the day]  
  
Davis enters the locker-room and finds Bosco changing. "Bos, have you seen Sully? I think he got suspended."  
  
"Suspended? From what I hear, he'll be lucky if they didn't arrest him."  
  
"Yah, Lieu was pretty pissed about that report."  
  
"What report? He's in some real serious trouble." He glances all around the room to see that no one is in ear shot, then grabs Davis by the arm and pulls him closer. Speaking in a soft tone he tells him, "You know those three camouflaged boneheads we caught?"  
  
"Yah, what about 'em?"  
  
"I heard they made a statement implicating Sully in some way, and they searched his place and found somethin."  
  
"Implicating him in what...the bombing?"  
  
"I don't know, that's all I could get out of Cruz."  
  
"That's crazy."  
  
"Well he's upstairs...with a union rep and a lawyer. "  
  
"You gotta be kidding me. What the hell could they have said?"  
  
"I don't know but it may be in the news...there were reporters here and their lawyer was talking to them outside. Lieu has been throwing fits all day. And then the Chief showed up. It looks bad...real bad." 


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.   
  
Previously in this story: The suspension was cancelled for all of the officers except for Faith, who is suspended because another complaint was called in. When she asks Bosco for help, he blows her off. Cruz plants money in Sully's apartment to set him up for the story she fabricated with the suspects. Lieu reprimands Sully for not writing a report, among other things.  
  
~Chapter Five~  
  
[A few days later]  
  
Bosco is still working ACU with Cruz, Davis is still riding with Gusler, and Sully and Faith are both on a suspension.  
  
Sully is taking a bag of garbage out to the curb and as he walks to the door, he runs into Faith walking in the building.   
  
"Sully...how ya doin?"  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
"I came to see you. I saw the news on tv. It said you took money from the bomber." She looks down at the floor. "I don't believe it for a second. I wanted to see if you were ok. I tried to call but..."  
  
"Yah...I'm not answering my phone. It's either reporters, or death threats."  
  
"My God...how the hell did this happen Sul?"  
  
"I don't know what's goin on. Someone is setting me up. I swear to God I don't know where that money came from...or how it got in my apartment. I certainly don't know those guys that fingered me."  
  
A neighbor walks in the building and Sully says hello to her. She glares at him, and walks quickly to her apartment. Faith looks at him sadly, and says, "Why don't we go up to your place and talk."  
  
"Don't you have to get to work?"  
  
"No...didn't ya hear? I got suspended too."  
  
"What? Because of me?"   
  
"No...for somethin else. I've been set up too. Someone's been callin the desk and reportin me for misconduct. Bosco was suppose to talk to the Lieutenant for me, and verify it isn't true...but he never did...and I wouldn't be surprised if it's because Cruz wouldn't let him."   
  
"What the hell is goin on Faith? Who could have it out for us? Ya know what...why don't we get out of here...go somewhere we can talk. They trashed my place and I'm still trying to get it put back together."  
  
"Those bastards. You'd think they'd be decent about it, being as you're on the job an all. They should give ya the benefit of the doubt. But not us...they treat us worse than the garbage we arrest off the street."  
  
[A few hours later]  
  
Davis and Gusler are riding on patrol when dispatch puts out a call, "55-Charlie...we have a disturbance at a bar...101 Avery St."  
  
Gusler grabs the radio, "55-Charlie...101 Avery." He furrows his brow, as he clicks off the radio, and stares worriedly out the window.  
  
Davis glances at him briefly, then stares straight ahead with the same worried look.  
  
Suddenly the radio is sending out calls one after the other. "All available units in the 55 ...we are receiving reports of gun shots at a deli at 102 Avery." Then a minute later, "All units respond to gunfire at 106 and 107 Avery. We now receiving multiple reports of gun fire between 98 and 107 Avery....All units in the 55 and the 63 respond to the 100 block of Avery street."  
  
"Oh my God!" Davis says.  
  
"Gusler looks over at him, eyes wide, and says, "Do you realize where we're going?"  
  
"Hell yah...last time I was in that neighborhood, I got shot. Sounds like someone has declared war on the Russians again. When we get near there...if there is still gunfire ...we'll wait for other units to arrive before we drive in. Keep your head low...if we get shot at...get out of the car, fast! And unsnap your holster now."  
  
Gusler swallows hard and nods his head.  
  
As they approach the area, they pass speeding cars, fleeing from the scene.   
  
"Do you think they're involved?" Gusler asks.  
  
"No...probably just bystanders getting the hell out of there."  
  
They pull onto Avery very slowly. They are met with an eerie silence. Looking up the street they can see most of the windows are broken in all the buildings, on both sides of the street. There is a Lincoln Continental parked in front of a restaurant. The driver's door is open, and the driver is laying on the street with his legs still in the car, and the arm of another man is protruding out the passenger window.   
  
As Davis parks the car, other RMPs are arriving. He and Gusler get out and, with guns drawn, they enter the bar. Davis' eyes dart quickly around the bar, looking for any movement. Bullet holes speckle the walls on all sides. The silence in the bar makes him uneasy, with glass crunching under his feet, the only sound in the place. There is one man dead, face down on a table, two bullet holes in his back, and two men, that must have been his drinking companions, dead on the floor next to him.  
  
Gusler looks over the edge of the bar and finds the bartender dead on the floor behind it, a bullet hole in the back of his head, an automatic weapon still in his hand. There are three others dead in front of a hallway leading to the back entrance, and two others dead in front of the restrooms.   
  
Davis tells Gusler that they should leave. There is no one to help in here, and the detectives won't want them walking through the crime scene. They step back out onto the street, and enter the next building...a deli.   
  
They find the same scene next door. In every building they search, they find the patrons dead but more importantly, every employee is dead, with a bullet hole in the back of their head and an automatic weapon in their hands. And all of them, wearing a tattoo of a spider web on their necks.  
  
It is obvious that someone was sending a message to the Russians. The employees were killed execution style.  
  
[Meanwhile]  
  
Faith and Sully are sitting in a diner, discussing how they've been set up and who may have done that to them. Faith tells him she has two more days to go of her suspension, then when she goes back to work, she will be on desk duty. She offers to help him, by gathering information on the young men they had arrested. She will find out who they are, who they know, and what connection they may have with Sully to be framing him.   
  
They agree to meet again at this restaurant next week.   
  
They get back to Sully's apartment and Faith offers to help him get it all put back together from the tossing the detectives gave it.   
  
"I've got an hour before I have to head home. Why don't ya let me come up and help ya?"  
  
"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Faith. They bugged the place. Can you believe that? I found a listening devise in my ceiling light. It may not be good for you to be seen with me. You have your own problems."  
  
"I don't care about that, Sully. But why didn't you just get rid of it?"  
  
"I figured that since I know it's there, I'll use it to my advantage. Tell them what I want 'em to hear."  
  
"Hunh...that's not a bad idea. Lets give them an earful."  
  
They head up to his apartment and walk inside.   
  
"My God Sully...I can't believe that cops did this."  
  
"Yah...they broke everything. Dumped every drawer, emptied every cupboard. Those bastards. And they said they found a book bag of money in here. They said it was right in the hall closet...first place they looked."   
  
"So they trashed it just for fun." She comments, shaking her head.  
  
"Yah. And I know 'they' carried the money in. I just don't know how to prove it. Or why they would do it. Crooked fuckin cops...and they're investigating me. Like I'd be living here if I was on the take."  
  
"Which detectives did this?" Faith asks.  
  
"John Davies was in charge. I always thought he was an asshole...this proves it."  
  
"Is he the one with the bad hair piece?"  
  
"Yah. He rides with Newsome...the guy that walks like a woman."  
  
"I heard he used to be a woman."  
  
"Well that explains it."  
  
"This is terrible Sully. I know you had nothing to do with those punks, but how can you prove it when the force has already marked you guilty. We're suppose to be on the same team. And the detectives aren't smart enough to figure out what's really goin on, so they frame you and take credit for another solved case."  
  
"I feel bad for you too...suspended because of an anonymous call? Man if I knew it was that easy to get a day off, I'd have called on myself a long time ago."  
  
"Right...I know it didn't happen...but I can't prove it. Well...I might have been able to prove it...if my shit head partner, Boscorelli, would have spoken up for me. But he didn't...he turned his back on me, makin me look even guiltier. And they don't believe me. They don't consider my work record, or all of my commendations. They take the word of an anonymous caller over mine."  
  
"I don't know how you've stayed partners with Boscorelli, he only thinks of himself."  
  
"No, that's not true...he also thinks of getting laid. He denies it, but I'm sure he's been sleeping with Sergeant Cruz. Even though he's too ashamed to admit it."  
  
"Ouuu...I would never admit that either. I guess it's true what they say about Boscorelli...he'll sleep with anything that has a pulse." He says disgusted.  
  
"He told me he's got Chlamydia...got it from his secret girlfriend."  
  
"Oh...that's nasty. Yah...it's gotta be Cruz. You know what they say...ya lie down with dogs you get up with fleas."  
  
"True...and he 'is' sleeping with a pure bread bitch."   
  
[At the same time]  
  
Bosco and Cruz are investigating the apartment building on Avery...the only building that has survivors of this Russian holocaust. One of them being Fyodor Chevchenko's son, who took over the business when Sully killed his father. The EMTs arrive to take care of the injured, so the two officers step outside to get out of the way. They see Davis and Gusler on the street.  
  
Cruz approaches Davis wearing a big grin. "Davis...it's too bad that your ex-partner isn't here to enjoy this. I know these Russians killed his wife and he was trying to avenge her death...and he failed miserably because, obviously the Russians are still in business. But if he were here now, he could at least have been involved in writin up the paper work."  
  
Davis turns away from her and starts to walk off, but she isn't done rubbing it in. "I suppose you can't wait to run to him and tell him about this. Tell him someone else did his job for him...as usual."  
  
Davis turns back to her. "What makes you think that he don't already know about this?" he asks her. "Like you said, these people caused his wife's death. You think he just walked away from it? He still keeps tabs on what happens here. He has a lot of informants. In fact...it's too bad for 'us' that he isn't here. He probably knows a lot about what happened here today."   
  
"Oh really! Well if he has information, he needs to come forward with it." She challenges him.  
  
"Right...he's gonna help you. I would think that if he knows anything, he'll use it to his own advantage. The last thing he'd do is share it with a 'sneaky Pete' like you." He laughs and turns to walk away.  
  
"Well...that's good...you keep a positive attitude, as if he has a chance of ever comin back."  
  
He turns back angrily. "I know my partner. He didn't do what they think he did. And he 'will' be back."  
  
"Aww...your loyalty is touching...but stupid. His career is done. If I were you, I'd put a lot of distance between me and him. Or you could find yourself goin down the tubes with him."  
  
"Yah...I imagine that 'is' what you'd do."   
  
She scowls as she watches him walk away. She thinks to herself, 'He thinks he's so smart with his smug attitude. He should listen to my warning about staying away from Sully. Smart ass, feeling pretty confident with himself talking to me like that. Well...he'll live to regret that. I'll teach him what loyalty can get him.'  
  
Cruz heads back into the apartment building, with Bosco following silently, and pulls detective John Davies aside.  
  
"You're workin on that bombing case, right?" She asks quietly.  
  
"Yah." He responds.  
  
"You still tappin Sullivan's place?"  
  
He looks over at Bosco, and doesn't answer her.  
  
"He's cool...he's with me." She tells him.  
  
"Ok...Yah, we've still got him bugged...but we're pulling it out. We got two days of silence, singing, and old movies on TV. We're wasting our time."  
  
"Well...I need you to leave it there for a while. He may have information on another case I'm workin."  
  
"We can sign it off to you...but your department will be charged for the time."  
  
"That's fine." She grins confidently.  
  
"Ok. See me back at the house later." He turns back to what he was doing.  
  
She walks out with Bosco and watches 55-Charlie doing their paperwork in their RMP. She makes a mental note to herself that Davis will be her next mission. Then she tells Bosco that she needs him to find out if Davis is going to see Sully after their shift...and if he isn't, she wants Bosco to go over instead and see if Sully really does know anything about this shooting.   
  
"Sully isn't going to confide in me." Bosco says half laughing. "He don't even like me."  
  
Her voice gets soft and school-girlish, "C'mon...what kind of attitude is that. Ya just gotta shmooge him. Tell him you know he didn't do it, that he's gettin a bad wrap, and you could help him look good by lettin him help us on this case. Talk to him the way you talk to a girl you're tryin to pick up in a bar."  
  
"Ya mean lie to him...tell him what he wants to hear."  
  
"Right." She smiles.  
  
[Later]  
  
The shift is over and Bosco asks Davis in the locker room if he's going to see Sully.  
  
"Not tonight, man. I got a hot date. I'll probably go see him tomorrow before work."  
  
Bosco leaves the precinct and heads over to Sully's. Davis leaves and heads over to Jackie's house...without realizing that Cruz is following him.  
  
[Shortly]  
  
Sully looks through his peep hole and sees Bosco standing outside his door. "What now?" he grumbles to himself opening his door.  
  
"Bosco...what the hell are you doin here?"  
  
"Hey Sul...I came by to see how you're doin. Can I come in?"  
  
"What do ya want?"  
  
"What do ya mean? I've been worried about you...gettin a bum wrap and all."  
  
"You...worried about me? Right...what the hell is really goin on?" Sully says annoyed.  
  
"C'mon Sul...I just...you know...I thought maybe ya needed someone to talk to. About what's been happenin. I was there, remember? I know you didn't have anything to do with those 'desert pant' punks. Or that towel head with the bomb."  
  
"And you came all the way over here to tell me that?"   
  
"Yah."  
  
"Ok...well...thanks. I'm doin all right. But it's late and I'm kind of tired, so...Goodnight." He starts to close the door.  
  
"Wait!" Bosco says holding the door open with his hand. "I thought...I mean...I think I can help you out. Will ya just let me in for a minute?" Sully sighs loudly, and opens the door wider and motions for him to come in. "Thanks Sul. I think I have an idea that will help us both."  
  
"I can't wait to hear this." Sully says sarcastically.  
  
"Look, I'm sure you heard on the news about the shootings this evening . With young Chevchenko and his...what the hell happened here? You get robbed?"  
  
"No...the detectives...never mind...so Chevchenko's people finally got what they deserve. So what?"  
  
"So...Davis kind of hinted that you may have some information on that...like who did it."  
  
"You came here to get information from me? What the hell would I know about that?"  
  
"C'mon Sul...those people were under your skin. Don't try and tell me that you haven't been followin their dealings."  
  
"I was...then the Lieutenant told me...no, he ordered me...to back off. And I did. I can't help you." He gives a snicker and shakes his head.   
  
"And you have no idea who Chevchenko has been pissing off?"  
  
"Yah...everyone. The man is a pit bull just like his father. Everyone he deals with, he pisses off."  
  
"Well who do you think was pissed off enough to do this?" Sully gives Bosco a look, like he is unsure of whether or not to trust him, and Bosco senses he's softening up. "If you can help me solve these murders, it will really look good for you when they investigate you for that other mess. It'll show that you have a good attitude, that you're bein helpful."  
  
"Are you askin me for yourself, or did Cruz put you up to this? 'Cos I wouldn't piss on that bitch if she were on fire."  
  
"Cruz!" Bosco makes a disgusted face. "Why would I be helpin her? She stole that collar out from under me too, remember? Ok...I'll admit that my motives are a little bit selfish, but it will make you look good as well as me. I've been tryin to get ACU to notice me...Cruz has been no help...so this may be the recognition I need. Bustin open a case involving the biggest Mob boss in the city. And who ever hit him...must be even bigger. What do ya say, Sul...give me somethin."  
  
"Well...I'm not sure about anything, cos I can't access the computers at work, and my informants are a bit leery of me right now. But, you should already know...you said it yourself...who could be bigger then Chevchenko?"  
  
"Buford." Bosco says.   
  
"Buford." Sully confirms. "My informants have been giving me information on who works for him and that he may be comin to town. He's bringing in a group of backers, and he put out the hits on Chevchenko to clear out the other dealers. I was in the process of tracking that when all this shit happened. I haven't figured out who he is yet, but I'm close."  
  
"Well good...I can track that information for you...tell me where to start."  
  
"That's the thing...I already have someone doin that for me."  
  
"Davis?"  
  
"No...Faith."   
  
"Faith?" Bosco says shocked.  
  
"Yah...this must have been feel sorry for Sully day. She stopped by too...with the same idea. She thought if we could break a big case, they would over look all this crap that's happening to us." Sully is making all this up as he goes, but he can tell, Bosco is believing it all. "She thought we could look good to the investigators...she tells me she's in some hot water also."  
  
"Oh...Damn it! I forgot to talk to Lieu for her. Shit!"   
  
"So anyway, I'll let Faith help me because she really needs the glory more than you do. And too many cooks in the kitchen...you understand."  
  
"Faith is on a suspension, she won't be able to..."  
  
"Her week is up after tomorrow...then she's going back to work. And she'll be at the desk for another week after that, so it will be easier for her than you. But ya know...I really appreciate you offerin to help me. I didn't think you...well you know...I never thought you'd offer to help. Thanks Bos. Well...I'm gonna get some shut eye."  
  
"Right...anytime." Bosco says defeated.   
  
Sully closes the door and leans against it grinning slyly.  
  
************** 


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.   
  
Previously in this story: Sully and Faith are on a suspension, and they team up together to figure out who set them up. Davis tells Cruz that Sully has information about a shooting, and Cruz plots to get the information from him. She also plots to get even with Davis, after he angers her.   
  
~Chapter Six~  
  
[The next day]  
  
Bosco answers his door to find Cruz standing there.  
  
"Hi." he says smiling.  
  
"Well...what did Sully say? Did he have any information?" She demands.  
  
"Sort of. He says that the hit must have been Buford."  
  
"I figured that...can he prove it? Does he know who Buford is?"  
  
"He has the names of people that work for him...he said he's close to finding his identity. But then all this shit happened and ..."  
  
"Did he give you any names?" She asked impatiently.  
  
"No. But he heard that Buford is coming to town."  
  
"When?"  
  
"He don't know yet."  
  
"Well are you gonna help him get this information?"  
  
"Uh...not exactly. He's got someone else worken it for him. I told you he wouldn't trust me."  
  
"Who's helping him...Davis...that arrogant..." she says scowling.  
  
"Faith." He interjects sourly.  
  
"Yokas!" She looks angry but then she breaks into a Cheshire cat grin. "Your partner... Good. You can get the information from her."  
  
"Yah...except I'm partnered with you, and she's on a suspension."  
  
"So...she'll be back. And then you can work with her...sort of undercover for me." She is speaking to him in a gentler tone now.  
  
Bosco feels really uneasy about that. "I don't know."  
  
"Of course you know. You want ACU don't you?"  
  
"Well...see...I was suppose to do her a favor and...well...I blew her off. I'm sure she's pissed at me. She probably isn't speaking to me."  
  
"So fix it. If you want to work ACU you have to learn to turn a situation around to your advantage. Think quick on your feet. If you can't do that with someone you know...then you'll never be able to do that under cover. Maybe I was wrong about you, maybe you don't have what it takes Boscorelli."  
  
"No...I do. I can do it." She looks him over, like she's summing him up, making him feel belittled. "I'll do it. Just give me some time."  
  
"We'll see then. Your future is riding on this Boscorelli." She turns and walks away.  
  
"Wait...where are you going?" He calls to her, "You wanna get some lunch or something?"   
  
"I'm heading over to the van that's keeping tabs on Sullivan. See if I can get any more info out of him."  
  
"Well how 'bout I come with you. We can pick up something for lunch on the way."  
  
"Ok...why not." She says with a shrug.  
  
[At the same time]  
  
Sullys opens his door to find Davis standing there. "Hey man...how ya been?"  
  
"Ty. I'm glad you're here. I was just about to call you. I need a favor." He tells him, as he motions him into the apartment.  
  
"Sure Sul. What do ya need?"  
  
"Well...before you say yes...you should know...it may be dangerous."  
  
"Well what is it?"  
  
"Actually, it's something I've asked Faith to do for me, and now I'm having second thoughts about letting her do it alone."  
  
"So...you gonna tell me what it is...or what?"  
  
"You know that drug Lord, Buford?"  
  
"I've heard of him...but no one knows who he really is right?"  
  
"Well I was very close to finding out, when all this happened. My informant gave me a name, and this guy can supposedly, lead me to Buford's right hand man. Faith is going to run the name through the computer for me when she gets back to work...to find out where I can find this guy."  
  
"What's the guys name?"  
  
"His name is...ya know what...we should go see Faith. I can fill in the details on the way there."  
  
Davis looks at him quizzically. He knows his partner pretty well...he can tell by the grin he's wearing, that he is up to something. He follows Sully out of the apartment.  
  
[About an hour later]  
  
Cruz pulls up behind a large van the size of a delivery truck. On the outside is printed, 'Meyer and sons, home remodeling and repair.' On the inside, is an elaborate set-up of recording, audio, and playback equipment. The sound system is built right into the cabinets, over a counter top that serves as a desk for the person who is listening through the head phones, to the sounds being recorded from Sully's apartment. The rest of the van is built like a Winnebago, with bench seat-couches and a small fridge.   
  
Cruz walks up to the back, looking around to be sure that no one is watching, and bangs on the doors. She holds her badge up to the window, that has a mirror coating on it so that you can't see in, but the officers inside can see out.   
  
The door opens slightly, and the officer inside says to Cruz, "Yah? What do you want?"   
  
"I wanna come in." She tells him impatiently.  
  
"Why? Who are you?"  
  
"I'm the sergeant that got this unit assigned to me ...this morning. Move out of the way."  
  
"What did you say your name was?" He asks suspiciously.  
  
"Sergeant Cruz. Now get out of..."  
  
The man breaks out into a huge grin. "You're Cruz?" Then he chuckles, and looks over at Bosco. "And then you must be Boscorelli." He says chuckling.   
  
"Yah...is that funny?"  
  
"No...not really." He says, suppressing more laughter. "Come on inside."  
  
They climb in, and the officer tells them his name is Franklin. He introduces his partner with the head set on, as Hack. Then he says to Hack, "This is sergeant Cruz and officer Boscorelli." And lets out a snicker.  
  
Hack lets out a giggle and says, "I've heard of you two."  
  
"Really...why the hell is that funny?" Bosco sneers at them.  
  
Franklin changes the subject. "What can we do for you two?"  
  
"I want to hear the tapes you got from Sullivan's apartment." Both officers give out another chuckle, then suppress it.  
  
"Ok...but...there isn't much there." Franklin says, trying to choke back a grin. He hands a clip board to her. "He's a pretty boring guy. We mostly got him singing and watching old movies." He points to the list on the board. "In this first column, we write down the track number on the tape as soon as he gets a visitor, or if he gets a phone call, which he never answers. That way, we know where to rewind the tape, to play it back. The next column we mark down who the visitor was if we can identify em. The next column we mark down the time that he leaves his place, and the time he returns."  
  
She scans down the sheet and points to an entry that says: 2:20- visitor- outside- off duty cop- Faith-. "This one...I want to hear this."  
  
He takes the board back and reads it. "There is no recording on this entry...she never went into the apartment. They met outside and left together. But later they came back and went inside. I can play that entry for ya." He grins at his partner, who turns away to hide his own grin.  
  
"Then play it." She barks at him.  
  
He pops in the tape cartridge, forwards it to the number on the sheet, then hits play. They listen to a few seconds of silence, then they hear the sound of keys jiggling in the lock.  
  
"Wow...that's a pretty powerful mic." Bosco says.   
  
"Quiet!" Cruz snaps.  
  
The next sound is Faith's familiar voice, expressing her surprise at the damage in the apartment. Next, Sully accuses the detectives of setting him up and declares his innocence. Then the pair start insulting the detectives, Davies with the bad hair-piece, and Newsome who walks like a woman.  
  
Bosco chuckles at the insults, wearing a big smile on his face, but then it slowly fades when Sully mentions how Faith was also set up. He had completely forgotten about her dilemma. She calls him a shit head. He deserves that, he figures.  
  
Then his look turns to shock as she starts talking about him sleeping with Cruz. He peeks at Cruz out of the corner of his eye to get her reaction...which is anger. Franklin and Hack can not contain their laughter now, and Bosco feels his face getting flush, as Faith tells Sully about Bosco getting a sexually transmitted disease from Cruz.   
  
"What the hell is that?" She yells, pounding the off button on the player. "You bad mouthed me to her?"  
  
"No! I never told her any of that. I don't know where she..."  
  
"You got Chlamydia?" She screams. "And you told her 'I' gave it to you? You son-of -a -bitch!"   
  
"No...I don't have it...I had it a long time ago...before we..." He stops himself, looking over at the two officers, who are now in tears with laughter. "She made that stuff up. I don't know why." He pleads to Cruz. "Maritza...I told her that stuff over a year ago... about my old girlfriend Nicole. I don't know why she brought it up now and said it was about you. Unless..." He glances over at the officers again. "Unless she knows we are listening. I swear I never said that stuff to her...not about you."  
  
"Is that possible?" Cruz questions the two men. "Could it be that they know someone's listening?"  
  
"It's possible." Hack says, wiping a tear from his eye. "I don't think so though. I've got a lot of experience with this stuff...and he don't act like a guy who knows he's being spied on."   
  
"How could you tell?" Bosco asks.  
  
"Most people usually just remove the bug or break it after a few days. It makes 'em feel uncomfortable in their own home. But if they 'do' leave it...they refrain from doing the normal goofy things, like singing with the radio. This guys plays guitar and sings...badly...all afternoon. Or they don't talk to their pets...or talk to the TV like this guy does during movies. He even talks to himself all the time. No...I'd have to say...this guy does NOT know."   
  
"It looks to me like your old partner is just really pissed at you." Franklin offers. "Just trashing you for the hell of it."  
  
[At the same time]  
  
Faith answers her door to find Sully and Davis smiling at her. "Hey...hi...what's goen on?" She says, sounding happily surprised.  
  
"Good afternoon...would you like to buy some tickets to the policeman's ball?" Ty says comically.  
  
She grins at him. "I didn't think policemen had balls." She lets out a laugh, as Davis stares at her, dumbfounded.  
  
"Ouch!" Sully says. "He never saw that comen."  
  
"I'm sorry Ty...that was just too easy." she says. "So, what brings you guys here?"   
  
"We stopped by to drag you away from whatever housework you're doin, and take you to lunch." He flicks his thumb towards Ty. "Junior here, is buyin."   
  
"Man...I'm gettin slammed here left and right." Davis says. "I don't think I like hangin with you two."  
  
Sully ignores him and continues, "We're gonna play a little game of cat and mouse. Wanna play?"  
  
"That depends on whether I'm the cat or the mouse." She answers.  
  
"Actually..." Davis informs her, "We're gonna have a little fun with Cruz...at Bosco's expense. You interested?"  
  
"Oh...how could I say no to that."   
  
"Then lets go." Sully says smiling. "We'll fill ya in."  
  
Davis tells Faith about Cruz, rubbing it in that Sully was suspended, so to get even, Davis led her to believe that Sully had information on who put the hit on Chevchenko. And she swallowed it, hook, line, and sinker.  
  
Sully explains further, "Bosco comes visiting, acting all buddy-buddy trying to get information from me about Chevchenko and who may have done the hit. I figured Cruz must have sent him. Without even knowing what Davis did, I led Bosco to believe it was Buford, coz I know Cruz has a hard on for him."   
  
"I told Bosco that I have information but that I had already asked you to help me instead. I know that Bosco is in hot water with you. He even admitted to me that he forgot to talk to Lieu for you, so now he has to get back in your good graces to get the information from you....to give to Cruz. We can really make him squirm."   
  
"Oh...and today in my apartment, I let them over hear me asking Davis to help you get this information. I don't know who is actually listening, but hopefully it will get back to Cruz...so now, all three of us can play."  
  
"So we're gonna torture them, by dangling information in their faces, that we don't really even have." Faith surmises.  
  
"Yah, sound like fun?"  
  
"I'm definitely in." She tells him smiling.  
  
[Back in the police van]  
  
Hack tells Cruz, "Your guy gets a lot of visits from off duty cops." Then he glances at Bosco, not sure of whether or not Bosco wants Cruz to know about his late night visit to Sully.  
  
She skims down the sheet again, and sees the entry: 12:05 -visitor -off duty cop- Bosco.  
  
"Play this one." Cruz says pointing. "This is your conversation with him." She tells Bosco.  
  
Although he went there on her insistence, and said the things she told him to say, he gets a nervous feeling in his stomach. He guesses that this is what Sully will feel, ten fold, if he finds out he was unknowingly being listened to. He's not sure if he said anything to Sully that may come back here today and bite him in the ass. He listens nervously.  
  
They hear a knock. Then Sully grumbles about having to answer it. They listen as Bosco and Sully talk about why he stopped over. Then Sully thanks him and tries to close the door. Bosco starts asking questions about Chevchenko then Sully brings up Cruz.   
  
Bosco glances nervously at her, as Sully says he wouldn't piss on her if she were on fire, and then calls her a bitch. To his surprise, she is smiling. She also has no reaction when Bosco tells Sully that Cruz has been no help for him on ACU and he has no reason to help her. Then Sully tells Bosco that he don't need his help because Faith is helping.   
  
"Is that all you've got on him?" Cruz asks disappointed.  
  
"Well...he had a visit this morning." He grabs a second clipboard. "From a guy he called Ty. But it was a short visit and then they left together."  
  
"Play it." She orders.  
  
Hack checks the tape number and rewinds the tape in the machine that his head set was plugged into. They hear a guitar strum and Sully sing a line, then a knock on the door. Sully keeps singing as he answers the door. He exchanges greetings with Ty and then Sully explains to Ty that he wants him to help Faith do something dangerous.   
  
"Bingo!" Cruz whispers.  
  
She listens intently as they start talking about Buford. Her eyes light up and she leans closer when Ty asks for the guys name. She almost jumps off her seat when Sully says; 'The guys name is..." but then he abruptly stops and decides to go visit Faith instead.  
  
"DAMN IT!" She yells. "Is that it? That's all there is?"  
  
"That's it. They haven't come back yet."  
  
"This is what I need to hear about. If he talks to Ty or Faith again, or if he talks to anyone about Buford or Chevchenko, you call me right away."  
  
[The next day]  
  
Bosco drives over to Faith's apartment, going over in his head what he's going to say to her. He isn't sure how mad she is. If she's not too angry, he'll suck up to her. Apologize. If she is 'real' mad...he'll go to plan B.  
  
He takes a deep breath and knocks on the door.  
  
Faith opens it, takes one look at Bosco, and slams the door in his face.  
  
Looks like plan B...lie his ass off.  
  
"Faith!" He knocks again. "What the hell was that for? Open the door and talk to me." He knocks harder. "Faith...c'mon...open the door. You can't be mad at me. I did what you asked me to do. It's not my fault that the Lieutenant wouldn't listen." He makes a fist and pounds the door hard. "Faith...I can't believe you're blaming me for this. I did what you asked...what more do you want me to do?"  
  
She opens the door. "You talked to Lieu?"  
  
"Of course I did. I promised you I would."  
  
"When?"  
  
"The same day you asked me to. Later on."  
  
She opens the door all the way. "Well what did he say?"   
  
"He...said...that he don't believe it really happened. He don't believe it...but the order came from the chief so there's nothin he can do about it."  
  
She studies him for a minute, knowing damn well he is lying right to her face, then her tone softens. "I'm sorry...I thought you blew me off."  
  
"God Faith...did you really think I'd break my promise to you?"  
  
"I thought...that maybe you didn't want me to come back right away...because you like workin with Cruz so much."  
  
"Nice. You must have a pretty low opinion of me."  
  
She glances away. Her opinion just got lower, but she forces herself to say, "I'm sorry. I just...I thought that you were so wrapped up with Cruz, that you forgot about me."  
  
Bosco can't believe how well this lie is going. She's feeling guilty and apologizing to him. He pushes it a little farther. "Man...you must really think I'm some kind of 'shit head' or somethin."  
  
She glances up at him quickly and her face flushes a little. The way Bosco emphasized the word shit head, she knows he heard her say it to Sully, which means he and Cruz are listening to the bug in Sully's apartment.   
  
"I'm sorry Bos. It's not you...I've been having a hard time. Fred is giving me shit about this suspension...he thinks this is a good enough reason for me to quit. I can't pay the rent or the electric. Con Ed was threatening to shut us off last month, and now I'm not gonna get a paycheck. I had to cancel my cell phone and tell Charlie he had to quit his...oh...never mind...it's not your fault...I know that. I was just looking for someone to take it out on I guess."  
  
"Well...I accept your apology. You'll be back to work next week, right? Things will get better. I miss working with you." He smiles forgivingly.  
  
"Yah...well...I have to do a week of desk duty."  
  
"Yah but that won't be bad. At least you have a little project to work on to make it more interesting."  
  
"What project?"  
  
"That information you're gonna look up for Sully."  
  
"You know about that?" She tries to sound shocked.  
  
"Yah...I went to visit Sul last night. He said he has info on Buford, and that you were gonna help him figure out who he really is. I offered my help too."  
  
"I'm surprised. Sully said that he didn't want anyone else to be involved."  
  
"Right...just you and me. Ya know what...I just had an idea. I didn't think of it last night when I was talking with Sul, but if you give me the info he gave you, I can get started on it tonight."  
  
"Well...I was looking forward to doing it while I worked the desk." She thinks about it for a second. "No...I don't feel right giving the information out. Sully confided in me."  
  
"It's me Faith. Don't you trust me?"  
  
"Yah...of course I do. It's Sully I don't trust. He may get mad. But ya know what...we can just call and tell him that you are gonna get a jump on it. That way I'd feel better. C'mon in while I look up his ph..."  
  
"No...wait...I just remembered...I have a special assignment tonight. I won't have time to get to it. Besides...then you'll be bored on the desk all week. Never mind."  
  
  
  
*************** 


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.   
  
Author's note: I want to thank all the readers that have taken the time to review. I hope you all are following this story, there are a lot of twists to it. Stick with me...it is gonna get really devious.   
  
Previously in this story: Cruz convinces Bosco to spy on Faith for information that she thinks Sully gave her, and also bugs Sully's apartment, unaware that he knows she did. Sully plots with Faith and Ty to lead Cruz and Bosco on a wild goose chase. Bosco lied to Faith.   
  
~Chapter Seven~  
  
A few days have gone by and Bosco is still working with Cruz, Davis is still working with Gusler, Sully is still on suspension, and Faith is now back to work at the control desk.  
  
[Jackie Harris' apartment]  
  
Jackie is getting ready for work. She grabs a sweater, her purse, and her keys off the table. Taking one last look around the apartment to be sure she isn't forgetting anything, she walks out the door and pulls it shut behind her. She hops in her car, and before backing out of the parking spot, she glances up at the picture that she has tucked into her visor, of her and Ty sitting together in a café. She smiles, wondering what plans he'll be making for tonight when he comes over after work.  
  
She has driven a few blocks when she hears the quick blare of a siren behind her. Glancing into her rear view mirror, she sees a police car behind her with it's lights on. She glances nervously at her speedometer. She is not speeding, so she glances around to see if maybe she ran a light or blew through a stop sign, but she's sure she didn't. As she pulls to the curb, she watches in the mirror to see if maybe he will go around her, but he doesn't. The RMP pulls up behind her and parks.  
  
A smile comes to her lips, as it dawns on her, that this is probably Ty messing with her. Now she isn't sure if she is pleased it's him or if she is mad because he made her nervous, and possibly late for work. She rolls her window down and waits for the cop to approach, and as he walks up, she says, "Don't you jerks have anything better to do than bother the working..."  
  
She stops abruptly when the officer bends down to her window, and she realizes it isn't Ty. She blushes and glances over nervously at the second officer walking up on the passenger side. That isn't Ty either.   
  
"Good afternoon miss. Can I see your license and registration." He says politely, ignoring her remark.  
  
"Yes officer...I'm sorry I thought you were someone else." She blurts out as she frantically digs them out of her glove box and hands them to him.  
  
He asks her where she is going, and as he looks over the papers she handed him, he asks, "Do you know why we pulled you over?"  
  
"No...not really. I thought you were my boyfriend. Maybe you know him...Ty Davis." Then she smiles at him awkwardly, trying not to look like she is hinting for him to let her out of a ticket.  
  
"He looks at her sternly and says, "No miss...we pulled you over because you have no tail lights."   
  
"None?" She says shocked.  
  
"No ma'am. I can see that your vehicle has been inspected recently, so I won't ticket you for this, but you need to get them fixed immediately."  
  
"But...what could cause that. They couldn't have all blown out at once."  
  
"Has your car been rear-ended lately?" The second officer asks, noticing that she is a very pretty girl.  
  
"No...not that I know of."  
  
"It could be a blown fuse." The first officer suggests.  
  
The second officer walks to the back trying to impress her by being helpful. "Well, nothing back here is broken. Why don't you open your trunk and we'll take a look. Maybe it's something I can fix for you right here." Then he smiles at her.  
  
"That would be great...I'm on my way to work and I don't want to be late." She grabs the keys from the ignition, climbs out of the car, and leads them around to the trunk.  
  
Jackie opens her trunk, and leans in to look at her lights. She notices that the wires, that should be plugged into the back of the light fixtures, are all unplugged. "Look...here's the problem." She plugs one in and then glances up at the officer to her right. "How in the world..."  
  
She stops in mid sentence, noticing that the two officers are staring suspiciously at each other. "What's wrong?" she asks, looking from one to the other.  
  
"Miss...would you step away from the car please." He takes her by the arm and makes her step backwards.  
  
"Why? What's wrong?"   
  
"Just step back. Is this your vehicle?"  
  
"Yes . You saw my registration. What's wrong?"  
  
The first officer guides her to the sidewalk, as the second officer reaches into the trunk and pulls out a large Ziploc bag of pot. "Is this yours?"  
  
"No! Where did you get that?"  
  
The two officers start questioning her. "Has someone else been driving your car?"  
  
"No!" she repeats. She pulls away from the officers grasp, and runs over to the trunk. Looking in she sees three more large bags of pot, a bag filled with small packets of white powder, and other paraphernalia like pipes, a mirror with a straw and blade, and a syringe. All laying half covered by a blanket she had in the trunk.  
  
"Oh my God...what is all this. This isn't mine."  
  
The officer grabs her arm again and walks her around to the front of the car. "Ok...empty out your pockets."  
  
"No. That stuff is NOT mine. You have to believe me. I don't know where it came from." She is getting scared. She is trying to hold herself together, but she can feel the tears starting to come. "Please...you have to believe me."   
  
"Miss...empty your pockets or..."   
  
She pulls away from him, and through tears she says, "I don't know what's going on here. Where did that come from?"  
  
"Ok...just calm down. I need you to empty your pockets and ..."  
  
She pulls away again, and every time he tries to take her arm, she shoves him away. "You can't arrest me...I don't do drugs." she cries. She is getting more frantic now, and the officer realizes he is loosing control of the situation. He is afraid she is going to try to run, so he quickly grabs her hard by the arm and jerks her towards him, and pushes her face down onto the hood of the car.   
  
He quickly cuffs her hands behind her back and she is sobbing so hard now, that her words can not be understood. One officer searches her, as the other one tries to calm her. They lead her to the RMP and place her in the back seat.  
  
One of the officers gets in the front seat of the car and keeps trying to reason with her while they wait for a tow truck to arrive. He tells her she needs to stop crying. The tears are not going to get her off the hook. She asks him to call Ty on the radio, but he won't do it. He tells her she can make a phone call when they get to the precinct.  
  
[At the 55 precinct]  
  
As Faith walks up behind the desk, she notices that there are quite a few transients sitting on the benches, all cuffed together. She says under her breath, "Oh great."   
  
"Yokas...I'm so glad your here. I thought I'd have to process all these fine citizens myself."  
  
"Hi Jablonski. What the hell is going on?"  
  
"Councilman Braxton was in the news again, slamming the mayor about the transients on the lower east side, and how he just ignores the plight of the homeless. His solution was to have the chief raid the abandoned buildings and get them off the streets and out of sight for a while, till this blows over."  
  
"Great. So now they're our problem."  
  
"No...now they're 'your' problem. I'm off in five minutes."  
  
"Well...where are the arresting officers?"   
  
"55-Frankie went for coffee. I told them they had a few minutes to kill before you came on." She glares at him, but he doesn't see it. He leaves quickly, yelling "have a goodnight" over his shoulder.  
  
When the officers return, they un-cuff their prisoners and bring them up to the desk, one at a time. They tell Faith their name and she enters them into the police computer, along with whatever offense they have been arrested for. Then the computer gives them an ID number for their file and it is added to their record if they already have one. Faith then has to collect any personal items, fill out an inventory form on them, and then place them in a sealed envelope to be locked away for safe keeping.  
  
Most of the vagrants that were brought in, were found in possession of drugs, although not a very large amount. Normally the officers would over look such a small bust, but this was a special assignment, and they were instructed to find some reason to bring these people in, just to get them off the street. The ones that were not holding, were arrested for trespassing instead.  
  
Faith gets five of them processed without any problem, before a young black woman is led to the desk, complaining loudly and shouting obscenities.   
  
Without looking up, Faith says, "Name?"  
  
  
  
"I know my rights. This is harassment, plain and simple. I'm not giving you my name or any information. I want to see a lawyer."   
  
"Just tell me your name."  
  
"You mother fuckers have no right to just grab people off the street. I'm an American citizen and I have rights."  
  
Faith rolls her eyes, and turns to the arresting officers for help. "Any idea who miss America is?"  
  
"She had no ID on her. But she was holding a couple of dime bags."  
  
Then the girl says, "I'm a police informant. I have given information in exchange for being left alone. And you all are gonna be in some serious trouble for hassling me. In fact...I want to talk to Cruz. She owes me. I want to see her now. You go tell her I'm here."  
  
"Cruz...it figures." Faith says to the officers, "Ok...just empty out her pockets. Give me her name when you run her prints." Then she says to the girl, "Congratulations, you just bitched your way into a longer stay at the hotel 55."   
  
"I want to see Cruz...right now! You tell her if she don't get me outta here...I'll give up her little secret."  
  
"And who should I say is asking to see her?"  
  
"You tell her Sparkel Jones wants to see her."  
  
"That's your name? Sparkel Jones?"  
  
"Yah...you got somethin ta say about it?"  
  
"Yah...is that with one 'L' or two?" And without waiting for a reply, she types the girl's name into the computer.  
  
"You bitch...you just tell that fucker Cruz, that I'm here. I ain't gonna keep her secret for too long."   
  
The officers frisk her. All they find in her pockets are a pair of mismatched gloves with holes in them, and a dirty green wool cap. They let her keep them in her possession, so Faith is done with this girl. One of the officers lead her off to fingerprinting, while the other brings over the next person.  
  
[An hour later]  
  
Jackie is escorted into the 55. Faith walks over and asks the arresting officers, "What do ya got?" as she pulls out a form.  
  
They toss Jackie's purse onto the desk. "Drug possession."  
  
"I told you...that stuff was not mine." She says in a shaky voice. "This is all a mistake."  
  
Faith asks her name, and one of the officers tells her. She types it into the computer and then writes it on a form, then she glances at the girl, thinking to herself that she doesn't look like the typical druggie. She isn't acting like one either.  
  
"I'm going to un-cuff your hands now. Get a tissue and try to calm down. After we get you processed you can make a phone call." One of the officers tells her.  
  
"Can I call my mom?"  
  
"You can call anyone you'd like. As soon as we're done."   
  
Faith glances at the arresting officers. They seem to be sympathetic to the girl. She obviously isn't street hard.   
  
"This can't be happening. I can't be arrested...I didn't do anything wrong."  
  
Faith grabs Jackie's purse and dumps it out.  
  
"What are you doing? That's mine."  
  
"I have to inventory the contents in front of you. Then it gets sealed into this envelope and locked away. When you get released, you get this back, and we re-check it to make sure everything is still there."  
  
"Please...you can't lock me up. This is a mistake. Those drugs were not mine."  
  
"Then you have nothing to worry about." Faith says coldly.  
  
"This is wrong. I don't do drugs. I don't know how those things got in my trunk. You can't arrest me...please." She starts crying hard.  
  
Faith is writing down all the items as she places them back into the purse, but Jackie's sobbing is distracting her. She feels sorry for her, but damn it, the girl did have drugs on her. She is very scared and if they keep her scared, maybe this will deter her from doing this again. Faith hands her a tissue, but that is as nice as she's going to be. This girl needs to learn a lesson.  
  
"What's gonna happen now?" Jackie asks.  
  
Faith glances up at her, then looks down again quickly. "Um...you're gonna get fingerprinted, then you can make your call, and then you get put in a holding cell until your bail is set."  
  
Jackie has stopped crying now, and is staring down at the floor. Then she looks up quickly, "Oh my God...I'm suppose to be at work. I need to call in. What do I tell them? I'm gonna loose my job over this." Then the tears flow again.  
  
Faith says, "Look...just have someone call you in sick for a few days...you shouldn't loose your job unless you can't make bail."  
  
"A few days? I'm gonna be here for a few days?"  
  
"No...but you'll want time to talk to a lawyer."  
  
"A lawyer...this is a nightmare. I can't afford a lawyer...how much will bail be?"  
  
"That depends on how much they found on you."  
  
"I have no idea what they found. It looked like a lot."  
  
That was an odd thing for her to say. This girl is starting to sound believable. The fact that she wanted to call her mom instead of a lawyer, tells Faith that this girl has never been in trouble before. And the fact that she didn't know how much they found could mean that she isn't the one that put it there.   
  
"I know you don't believe me, but it's like I've been set up or something. I don't know how that stuff got in my car. I can't believe this is happening."   
  
  
  
Faith gets a pang of de ja vous. Her and Sully have been saying the same thing for the past week. She watches as the officers lead Jackie over to fingerprinting. And, although she shouldn't, she does feel sorry for this girl. She makes a mental note to check on her in a while.  
  
It finally has gotten slow at the desk, and Faith takes the opportunity to get into the computer and run the names of the men that are framing Sully.   
  
The young men in camouflage have been friends for a long time. John Barkley and Ryan Heath had been picked up at the age of nine and eight for shop-lifting together and then later for destruction of property for smashing windows of parked cars.   
  
At age twelve, Barkley and Cain were arrested for auto theft, and Barkley and Heath were also picked up several times for robbery and assault when they reached their teens. Faith writes down the names of any other boys that were with either of these guys during their prior arrests. She also checks to see if Sully was involved in any of the arrests, but it looks as though he wasn't.  
  
She runs the names of their accomplices and finds that two of them have been picked up and questioned in connection with the beatings. Still, she finds nothing connecting them to Sully. She plans to run the bombers name through the computer, to see if he has any connection with the camouflage guys, but she notices someone walking up to her out of the corner of her eye. She clicks the screen off.   
  
"Hey...what's up?"  
  
"Nothing Bos. How's ACU goin?"  
  
"Boring. All paperwork. What are you looking up? Anything...you know...interesting?" He says nodding his head from side to side.  
  
"No. It's been really busy. I'm just finishing up my paperwork." Then she folds the paper with the names of Barkley's accomplices on it, and tucks it into her shirt pocket.   
  
He watches her suspiciously. "So...ya think ya may get to it soon? I've got a few minutes to kill. I can help."   
  
"Not really. I have to follow up on one of the girls brought in today." She shuts the computer off and walks away.  
  
Bosco turns it back on and opens the history button and a screen full of sites opens up. "Damn!" He has no idea what she may have been looking at.  
  
*** 


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.  
  
Author's note: Thanks for the reviews...I still have some faithful followers, you guys are great. (Don't stop now. lol)  
  
Previously in this story: Faith is back to work, and is gathering information on who set up her and Sully. Cruz plants drugs in the trunk of Ty's girlfriend's car, and gets her arrested.   
  
~Chapter eight~  
  
[Sully's apartment]  
  
Sully is in his living room playing his guitar when he gets a phone call. For the first time in a week, he answers it.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Can I speak to Mr. Sullivan?" The voice says.  
  
"Yah...this is Sully."  
  
"Mr. Sullivan, how are you doing today?"  
  
"Good. I've been waiting to hear from you." He answers.  
  
"Well, God bless ya. I won't take much of your time. I'm calling on behalf of the handicapped. I see that last year you gave..."  
  
"And this guy works for Buford?" Sully cuts in.  
  
"No...I work for the handicap..."  
  
"Then he must be making arrangements for Buford to come here." Sully persists.  
  
"What? I don't think you understand, I'm calling..."  
  
"Do you know 'when' he's coming?"   
  
"Uh...Sir...apparently you think I'm someone else."  
  
"Well, how can I find out when he'll be here?"  
  
"I'm sorry I think..."  
  
"And he'll be meeting William at the Pink Parrot tonight?"  
  
The man on the other end hangs up, and Sully continues, "So if I follow him...he will lead me right to Buford. Ok thanks. I owe you big." Then he hangs up.  
  
In the van outside, Franklin calls Cruz and tells her that Sully got a phone call concerning Buford.   
  
[A few hours later]  
  
Faith walks back to lockup. It is really full tonight. They have nine men in one cell and five women locked up in the other. On one bench, an older woman sits talking to herself, and with her on the bench is another woman curled up asleep. Sparkel Jones is on the other bench with a girl and they are bickering with one another. Jackie is sitting on the floor against the bars, with her back to Faith.   
  
Faith walks up behind her. "How ya doin? Holding up ok?"  
  
Sparkel pipes in, "That puppy's been cryin since they put her in here."  
  
Jackie looks up, her eyes all red, and asks, "Is my mother here?"  
  
"No." Faith looks at her watch. It's been a few hours already. "Did she say she was comin right down?"  
  
"No. I got her answering machine. I left a message."  
  
"Maybe I should try calling her for you. Or is there someone else you want to try?"  
  
"I want to get a hold of my boyfriend, but the other officers wouldn't do it."  
  
"Do you have his number, I call him for you?"  
  
"He's a cop at this precinct. I don't know how to get a hold of him at work. Maybe you know him...Tyrone Davis."  
  
"You know Ty?"  
  
"Yes...we're dating. But those other cops..."  
  
"C'mon...come with me." Faith motions for her to get up.  
  
As Jackie heads to the door of the cage, so does Sparkel. "Hey...I know a cop too. I'm comin with you. I need to talk to Cruz now!"  
  
Faith opens the door and pushes Sparkel back. "Cruz doesn't want to see you." Faith tells her.  
  
"That bitch!. Did you tell her who I am?"  
  
"She says she never heard of you." Faith says casually.  
  
She lets Jackie out and closes the cage behind her. Sparkel reaches through the bars and grabs Faith by the arm. "I want to talk to someone about that whore."  
  
"Do you want to file a complaint?" Faith asks.  
  
"Yah...a complaint. I got a complaint against that bitch."  
  
"Ok...I'll send someone in to take your statement."  
  
  
  
Faith puts Jackie in an interrogation room, and heads back to the desk to call Ty. On her way, she sends another officer back to take Sparkle's complaint about Cruz.  
  
[Meanwhile, Out on patrol]  
  
Davis is driving while Gusler fidgets in his seat. Davis asks him where he'd like to go for coffee when the radio interrupts. '55-Charlie...We have a report of a truck blocking traffic between 101 and Edison.'  
  
"There goes our coffee." Gusler grabs his radio, "101 and Edison...55-Charlie responding."   
  
They arrive at the scene to find traffic backed up a few blocks, with angry drivers beeping and yelling obscenities to a truck driver, who is standing in the road next to his truck, yelling back for them to shut up.  
  
Also on the scene is the fire rescue squad, walking around the truck, looking stumped on what to do. The truck driver tried to take a short cut onto Edison, which is restricted to commercial vehicles because there's a bridge over the road that only has 12' 4" clearance. Too low for a semi to fit under.   
  
The truck is wedged under the bridge, with about three feet of the top peeled back, and caught in the girders under the bridge. DK suggested he try backing out, but with the top stuck under the bridge, it started to cave in the sides of the truck, crushing his load.   
  
To continue forward, would destroy the truck even more, and Jimmy warned that it may weaken the structure of the bridge. They tried to climb on top of the truck to cut away the   
  
stuck part of the roof , but there is no room for them to get under it. They decide to empty the load, then cut off the whole top of the truck.  
  
Davis walks over to the line of cars and tries to calm them down, and directs them to turn around and go a different route.   
  
Gusler walks over to the truck driver and says, "Are ya stuck?"  
  
The truck driver stares at him for a second then says very sarcastically, "No...I'm delivering this bridge and I don't know where to leave it. " He walks away from Gusler angrily, and starts arguing with the firemen about cutting up his truck. The argument starts getting more heated. Gusler tries to break it up, but he gets shoved out of the way.  
  
Davis runs over and steps in the middle and yells for them all to stop. He pulls the truck driver away from the firemen. "Look man...they're trying to help you. You can't leave the truck there, and you can't drive it out."  
  
The radio sounds off. '55-Charlie...I have a personal message.'  
  
Gusler answers the call, "55-Charlie...go ahead."  
  
"I need officer Davis to return to the house." Faith tells them.  
  
Davis turns to his radio. "Is this an emergency?"  
  
'Negative...but it is urgent. Return as soon as you can.'  
  
"Roger that."  
  
Jimmy walks over and says to the driver, "Look buddy...we'll unload the truck so your cargo isn't damaged, but we have to remove about a foot off the top to get it to clear the bridge. There is no other way."  
  
Gusler says sheepishly, "Why don't you just let the air out of the tires?"   
  
They all stop talking and stare at him like they're annoyed that he butted in. He adds nervously. "It was just a suggestion."   
  
Jimmy walks away and approaches the other firemen. "Ok I got an idea...we can let the air out of the tires, and that might lower it enough to get the jaws under the bridge and free up the part that's caught. Then he may be able to back it out."  
  
"Hey Jimmy that's a great idea. That's why you're the man." DK says.   
  
Gusler looks appalled, "Hey...but I...that was my..."  
  
Jimmy smiles and gives them a wink, as Davis cuts Gusler off with, "C'mon...I have to find out why they want me back at the house.  
  
[At the same time]  
  
Cruz takes Bosco over to listen to the latest recording in Sully's apartment. After listening to Sully's end of the conversation, she tells Bosco to go to this bar, the Pink Parrot, hang around, and look for this guy named William. She tells him to follow who ever this William talks to.  
  
"The Pink Parrot...you want me to go to the Pink Parrot and hang around. No way."  
  
"I'm not asking you...that's an order Boscorelli."  
  
"That's a gay bar. I'm not gonna hang out at a..."  
  
"That is your assignment. You can take Lieberwitz if ya don't want to go alone."  
  
"I'm not taken a guy to a gay bar...you come with me or I'm not goin there."  
  
"Oh that would look inconspicuous. Us on a date in a gay bar." she says sarcastically. "Just do it. That's your assignment." She turns to leave the van. "Do it Boscorelli."   
  
"Shit." He says under his breath.  
  
[Still at the house]  
  
Faith wants to get a look at the file that detectives Davies and Newsome have made on Sully, so she delivers a memo into their office. She drops it off on their desk, and glances at the many files laying in the clutter, looking for the one she needs.  
  
"Hey...you're still investigating that gang and the truck bomber, right?" She asks, looking around nonchalantly.  
  
They glance at each other and then look at her suspiciously. "Yah...why? You got some information?"  
  
"No...I was just wondering. I was one of the officers that apprehended them. I was curious to know how the invest..."  
  
"We got your statement. If there's anything we need from you...we know where to find you." Davies says without looking up at her.  
  
She tries to stall until she locates the file. "Ok then...I was just kind of proud to have gotten them off the street. I wanted to know what the status of..."  
  
"Don't you have more memos to drop off?" Davies says sarcastically, hinting for her to leave.  
  
She glances up at them for a second, but not before she spotted what she was looking for. Their file on Sully was on the desk, half covered by two other files. She turns and walks out the door, but as soon as they leave the precinct she plans to return and get a look at that file.  
  
As she enters the hallway, she is approached by officer Pratt, the officer that went in to take Sparkel's complaint. "Yokas...you're gonna wanna see this."  
  
"What...did she complain about me too?"  
  
"No...well not today she didn't." He says with a nervous grin. He hands her a paper as he continues to explain. "Apparently, Cruz grabbed her off the street and planted a dime bag on her, then threatened to arrest her if she didn't do her a favor."  
  
"Yah?"  
  
"The favor was to call the precinct here and voice a complaint against a female cop that Cruz was out to get. That cop is you."  
  
"Are you serious?" she asks.   
  
"It sounded like she was telling the truth. And she says Cruz made her do it twice. Had it all written down on paper, what she wanted her to say about you. And she made others do it too. I thought you'd want to hear this before I take it in to Lieu."  
  
"I can't believe Cruz would do this! This is low even for her." She reads the complaint that Sparkel wrote up, recognizing word for word, the things that Lieu told her were said.   
  
"Do you want to take it to Lieu?" he offers.  
  
"No... I already tried to tell him the complaints were not real. It will be more believable coming from you. Thanks for letting me know."  
  
As Faith and Pratt talk in the hallway, she sees detectives Davies and Newsome walk out of their office and head out the door. As Pratt heads over to Lieu's office, Faith enters Davies' office and grabs Sully's file off his desk and hurries to the copier with it. By the time she has the copies made and the original back where it came from, Gusler and Davis return.  
  
Faith sends Gusler off to get coffee while she walks Davis over to the interrogation room containing Jackie.   
  
"Ty, are you dating a girl named Jackie Harris?"  
  
"Yah...why did something happen to her?" He asks, the concern growing in his voice.  
  
"She was brought in here a few hours ago. I'm sorry...I just found out that she knew you."   
  
"Brought in for what?"  
  
"55-Adam brought her in. Found drugs in her trunk during a traffic stop."  
  
"That's crazy. Jackie ain't like that. What the hell did..."  
  
"Look...I don't know all the details. They haven't filed their report yet...I checked. But she didn't seem to be the typical drugger...and when she said she knew you...I got her out of the lock-up. She's in here. Go talk to her...she's really scared."  
  
"Ok...thanks Faith. I appreciate this. And believe me...there has been some kind of mistake. I guarantee it."  
  
*** 


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.  
  
Authors Note: Thanks again for all the reviews. Here's the chapter that you've been waiting for...Bosco at the Pink Parrot. Enjoy.  
  
Previously in this story: Sully gives out false information to Cruz, which sends Bosco undercover to a gay bar. Faith learns that Ty's girlfriend has been arrested. She also learns that Cruz is behind the complaints that got her suspended.   
  
~Chapter nine~  
  
Bosco pulls into the parking lot of The Pink Parrot. He wore the toughest looking outfit that he had, and of course, a baseball cap and sunglasses. He watches the door to check out the clientele that is going into the bar. Most of the guys going in look normal. No one is holding hands or anything...but they seem to be walking a bit too close to each other.  
  
He keeps telling himself he has to do this...he is just under cover. He has to prove himself to Cruz. He tells himself this will help his career...and that if someone hits on him...it will blow his cover, if he beats them to a pulp.  
  
He waits nearly a half an hour before he works up the nerve to go inside. His biggest fear is that someone will recognize him...but then, that would mean that they were here also. He heads to the door and walks in. It is so dark that he has to remove his sunglasses. There are about twenty guys in the bar, and they immediately eye him up and down. 'Jag-off fagots...you wish you could have someone as manly as me.' he thinks to himself.   
  
He walks up to the bar and starts to order a Heineken...then reconsiders. The commercial says "grab a heinny". Not sending out that message.   
  
"I'll have a Bud." he tells the bartender, as he climbs onto a bar stool.   
  
How the hell is he suppose to find someone named William, when he doesn't even want to talk to anyone. Everyone seems to be staring at him. Maybe it's his imagination...but...holy shit...that guy is coming over. He looks straight ahead nervously.  
  
A man approaches Bosco and says, "Hi...I've never seen you in here before. My name is Allen. Can I buy you a drink?"  
  
Bosco turns abruptly in his direction, and with a threatening glare he growls, "No! Get the hell away from me you rump ranger."  
  
Allen backs away from him, startled, and raising his hands in a stop motion he says, "Whoa buddy. I'm sorry. I guess I misread you." He turns to walk away but then turns back and offers a friendly warning. "You may not know...being as you're new here...but...most guys come here looking for companionship. Uh...male companionship."  
  
Surprised by how startled Allen was, Bosco realized that he had over reacted and blew his cover. He'll never get information once they know that he isn't gay. Hell, they may run him out of the bar. Cruz's words keep running through his head: "If you want to work ACU you have to learn to turn a situation around...think quick on your feet. If you can't do that...then you'll never be able to work under cover."   
  
Bosco quickly changes his tone. "Hey man I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at ya. I'm...ah...going through a break up...and uh..." He swallows hard. "Let me buy you a drink. To apologize."   
  
He thinks to himself, 'Oh my God...I'm buying drinks for a fudge packer.'  
  
Allen says. "No...that's alright. No hard feelings."   
  
Bosco thinks, 'You got that right...nothing's feeling 'hard' over here. But he says out loud, "No really man. Sit down...let me buy you a drink." He motions for the bar tender to come over.   
  
Allen says, "No that's ok...you probably want to be alone."  
  
"No...have a seat." Bosco says...but he thinks, ' Right. A minute ago you wanted me bad, now you're tryin to play hard to get.'  
  
The bar tender comes over and asks Allen, "What'll ya have?"  
  
"I'll just have what he's got." Allen says.  
  
'You wish.' Bosco thinks to himself.  
  
[Back at the precinct]  
  
Faith looks over the reports that were in Sully's file. One of them is from forensics and it is about the book bag that contained the money found in Sully's apartment. The odd thing is that there were no fingerprints found in the obvious places, and Sully's fingerprints were not found at all. Also not present, were finger prints from the man identified as the bomber.  
  
They did find a partial fingerprint on the inside of a pocket, inside the bag, and it belonged to a guy named Billy Tarnell, a small time criminal, who is known to be a numbers runner for a Bookie named Salvatore Buttarozzi. A post-it note, written by the detectives, and attached to the file, says that Tarnell is in the wind.   
  
Another report that she finds interesting is from the bomb squad, noting that there was no detonator. The explosion was caused by the impact of the truck, into the building. There was an explosive devise attached under the hood of the truck that exploded on impact, igniting the explosives that were loaded in the back. No one could have seen that unless the hood was open. Obviously the camouflaged guys were lying about a detonator.  
  
The notes written by the detectives, seem to indicate that the statements by the young men were in no way accurate and must have been fabricated. The investigation is looking good for Sully.  
  
Faith makes a note that they need to find Billy Tarnell, or at least find out why he fled.  
  
  
  
**************  
  
Ty is inside the interrogation room, talking to Jackie. She explains to him through tears what had happened, and that she doesn't know how the drugs could have ended up in her trunk. No one else has a key to her car. But all her tail lights were unplugged. Ty reassures her that he is getting her out. He promises to get to the bottom of what happened, and he will also have a word with the officers that booked her and refused to notify Ty that she asked for him.  
  
Ty leaves her and goes to get Faith. She is at the desk, still looking over the information that she copied from the file, with Gusler hovering around her. Davis asks her if she can come to the interrogation room, so they can talk privately. She asks Gusler to cover the desk for her, and follows Ty to the room.  
  
"I need to get my hands on some bail money and get her out of here." Ty tells Faith.  
  
"Ok. She can wait up front with me, while I start the paper work to get her released."  
  
"Then I'm gonna need to get her car out of the impound. Can you do that for me?" He asks.  
  
"I can do the paper work, but I don't think I can get around the impound fee."  
  
"Ok. I'll get money for that too. Someone unplugged all her tail lights so that she would get pulled over...to insure that the drugs in her trunk would be found. I need to find out who did it and how they got into her trunk."  
  
"I got an idea. I'll put the paperwork in to have the car checked over by forensics. I'll slide it in with all the vehicles that were towed from the shootout and have it charged to Cruz's unit. I have a friend down there. Maybe I can get her car in and out quickly before anyone notices...but she may be without a vehicle for a few days."  
  
"That would be great. Finger prints, tamper marks, what ever they can find." Ty says.  
  
"I found out some stuff too...about Sully's problem. The detectives have actually figured out that the guys we caught, fabricated the story about seeing a detonator. They also found one fingerprint on the book bag from Sully's apartment. It didn't belong to Sul or the bomber."  
  
"Who's was it?"  
  
"A skell named Tarnell. Billy Tarnell. He runs numbers for Buttarozzi. We need to find someone who would know where Billy might be and why he disappeared from the face of the earth."  
  
"You think he's involved?"  
  
"I think...someone rolled him for the money he collected for Buttarozzi. It's money that can't be reported stolen, and somehow it ended up at Sully's place. Now he is in trouble with his boss, so he's in the wind hiding from Buttarozzi...making it all untraceable." She tells him confidently.  
  
"Sounds feasible. We need to find him, and have him tell us who rolled him. Then we'll know who set up Sully."  
  
  
  
"Right. Oh...I found out who has been calling in and reporting me. We had a girl in lock-up that filed a complaint against Cruz, for making her and her friends make the calls for her, in exchange for not being arrested."  
  
"It was Cruz that got you in trouble?" Ty says shocked. "There is something seriously wrong with her."  
  
"Yah...can you believe it? Once that girl found out that witch wasn't planning to bail her out of here, she turned on her and confessed to the phone calls."  
  
"I guess you're lucky then, that Cruz is so nasty that she wouldn't bail the girl out of jail, or you'd never have found out."  
  
"True. Good thing I never told Cruz she was here." Faith says, then giggles as she walks away.   
  
[Back at the Pink Parrot]  
  
Allen picks up his beer and tips it towards Bosco. "Thanks."  
  
They sit for a few minutes in an awkward silence until Allen asks, "So...this breakup you're going through...were you together long?"  
  
"Umm...about a year I guess." Bosco is working a cover story through his mind, so he can gain Allen's trust. He will talk about his relationship with 'wild Nicole' but call her Nick. Then he can start questioning Allen about who this William may be. Once he finds him, and who he is meeting, he can get the hell out of here.  
  
"So do you feel that the relationship is really over...or is this something that can be mended?" Allen asks.  
  
"Oh...it's over." He says taking a swig of his beer. "Nick threw me out. Brought my things to where I work and tossed them at me. And asked for my key back."   
  
"Ouch. It's always harder when they end it in front of other people. You don't get to hash it out or say the things you need to...you know, to get it off your chest."  
  
"Yah...exactly! Left me standing there speechless...looking stupid." He is all proud of himself. He is pulling this off nicely.  
  
Then, as Allen sets his beer down, his hand brushes Bosco's hand accidentally, and he asks casually. "So...are you out on the street? Do you need a place to stay?"   
  
It was just a question. But it sent Bosco into a homophobic panic, making him loose his concentration, and start babbling. "NO!...no, no. I uh...I have my own place...I didn't live with her...him...with Nico...uh...Nick."   
  
Bosco thinks, 'Shit. I just blew my cover...again. Damn it.' He closes his eyes, and says, "Look...I can explain." ...although he really can't. He is getting himself in deep, and now he is thinking, 'I'm gonna get my ass beat by a bunch of Sallies.'   
  
He looks over at Allen, and to his surprise, Allen lets out a laugh and grins at him. "No need to explain. I know what's going on here."  
  
"You do?" Bosco says timidly.  
  
"You've never been with a guy. You date women, right?"  
  
"Yah." Bosco says cautiously.   
  
"I went through the same thing you're going through. The embarrassment...the anger. You like women, but you can't get along with them, and you can't commit to them."  
  
"Yah...exactly."  
  
"They want your attention...whenever 'you' just want to watch a ballgame."  
  
"Right." Bosco says feeling relieved.  
  
"Then when you try to give them your attention, they say you're smothering them."  
  
"Yes." Bosco says, thinking; 'this Allen guy really gets it.'   
  
"You like to be around them but they'll never do what 'you' want to do...shoot pool, go to a basketball game, play poker. They drag you to the mall, and plays, and fancy restaurants. You just want sex with them...you can't be 'friends' with them." he says making the quotes in the air with his fingers.  
  
"Man, that's exactly it...in a nut shell." Bosco says nodding his head in agreement.  
  
"That's why you're here...you know that deep down inside, the problems you have with female relationships are all because you want to be with a man...but you are afraid to come out. The important thing is...you've made the first step. I went through the exact same struggle. You just need time to really understand what you're feeling. So I'll sit here with you, and if any one else comes over, I'll tell them you're with me so they leave you alone until you are comfortable with your feelings." Then he pats Bosco's hand.   
  
Bosco's eyes, which are wide open in a glazed stare, dart quickly around the room, to see if anyone just saw that. He thinks to himself, 'I should be relieved...now I have a cover again, but...Oh my God...I just found out I have homosexual feelings towards women, and I'm sowing seeds with a fanny farmer.'   
  
[Back at the precinct]  
  
Faith is busy at the desk with all her paperwork when her cell phone rings. She answers it to hear Sully's cheery hello.  
  
"Hi...you're in a good mood." She says smiling.  
  
"Yah...I'm enjoying my time off. Is that little weasel, Bosco, around?"  
  
"No. He was sent on a mission by Cruz. I saw her come back to the house over an hour ago. He called in a location on an undercover code."  
  
"Good. I hope he's where I sent him." Then he lets out a laugh.  
  
"Is he out chasing his tail?" She asks smiling.  
  
"I hope someone is chasing his tail." He laughs again. "I let them believe that a guy named William is meeting someone at a bar, who is going to lead them right to Buford. The bar is The Pink Parrot."  
  
Faith laughs so hard that everyone around the desk looks over at her. "Oh, I wish I could see that."  
  
Still laughing himself, Sully says, "I'm going over there now. I'm suppose to go to find this William...but Bosco isn't suppose to know about it. So he'll have to explain to me, why he's in a gay bar with out giving away the fact that they are bugging me. I'm really gonna have fun with him."  
  
"Oh Sully...remind me never to piss you off." She says catching her breath and wiping a tear from her eye, "I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I want to hear all about it later. Plus...I have some good news to report."  
  
"Ok...I'll call you later."  
  
"Right...have fun."   
  
[Shortly]  
  
Sully pulls into the parking lot of the Pink Parrot. He recognizes the unmarked ACU cruiser in the parking lot. Grabbing an old police file off the front seat, he walks into the bar and glances around. There are twenty or more guys, sitting around talking casually.  
  
He is looking for Bosco, and then he spots him, sitting at the bar...with a friend. Sully can't help but smile, but as he approaches the bar, he puts a straight face on as he motions the bartender over. He walks up to the left side of Allen, so that Bosco will be facing him when he talks to his friend.  
  
Bosco is staring straight ahead, as Allen drones on about relationships. Bosco needs to think of a way to change the subject and talk about the people in the bar, to see who Allen knows. He needs to find William. He glances around the bar thinking that no one in here looks like they would know, much less work for, a skell like Buford. Except for that big, over weight guy at the bar that looks like... Bosco freezes. Oh my God...it's Sully! He never considered the fact that Sully was coming here.  
  
The bartender asks Sully, "What'll ya have?"  
  
"I'm looking for a guy named William Tanner. I was told he was going to be here."  
  
"Never heard of him...but I don't really know people by their full names." The bartender says.  
  
Sully pulls a picture out of the file and shows it to him. "Maybe you'll recognize his face. Although, this is an old picture."  
  
"No...I've never seen this guy in here. I'd know. He don't really fit the clientele. What did he do? Is he in trouble?"  
  
"No. I work for a law firm. I can't give you details...you understand...but it involves a will. And lets just say...if he has a running tab here...you want me to find him."  
  
Bosco is trying to listen to what Sully is saying, but at the same time, he is ducking behind Allen, so that Sully's doesn't see him. Allen finally notices and stops in mid sentence.   
  
"What's wrong? What are you doing?" Allen asks.  
  
"Nothing...I gotta...I need to...ah..."  
  
Sully tells the bartender, "Ya know...I'm off the clock now. I think I'll have a few cocktails and see if he shows. Let me have a pink Lady."  
  
Bosco is desperately trying to find a way to get out of the bar without being noticed by Sully. But all of a sudden , Sully goes out of his way to look around Allen, puts his hand over his mouth and gives Bosco an over dramatic look of surprise.   
  
"Hey...don't I know you?" Sully says stepping closer.  
  
"No. No ya don't." Bosco says, putting his hand up to block his face.  
  
"Yah...I think I've seen you around. Do you ever go to Peter and Paul's? It's a bar over on Alexander street." Sully says to Bosco.  
  
"No...I've never been there."  
  
"Well...anyway...I'm looking for this guy. Maybe either of you have seen him." Sully says holding out the picture.   
  
Allen and Bosco look at it and they both say no.   
  
"Well, while I'm waiting to see if he comes in...do you mind if I join you?" He calls the bartender over and orders a drink for both of them. Bosco tries to say no, that he can't join them, but Sully steps right over next to Bosco and gets into a conversation with Allen.  
  
"This is a nice bar." Sully says.  
  
"You say you go to Peter and Paul's? I go there a lot...I've never seen you." Allen says accusingly.  
  
"Well I haven't been there in a while. I've been in a relationship for about five years. But I'm single now...and I'm starting to get into the mix again. Say...I don't suppose that either of you two are single, are you?" And as he says it, he leans against the bar, slipping his arm against Bosco's back and steps in closer to him.  
  
"No...we're together." Allen says a little protectively, as Bosco's face turns white.   
  
"Oh...well, my loss. But you guys make a nice couple. How long have you been together now?"  
  
"Almost a year." Allen says, putting his hand on Bosco's hand, sending him into shock.  
  
"Wow...almost a year. I can't tell you how surprising that is to me." Sully smiles big at Bosco. "I mean, the way young couples break up so easily these days." He wraps his arm around Bosco's shoulder and gives him a squeeze.  
  
Bosco looks as though he wants to melt to the floor and slip through the cracks. How could he not have realized that Sully would be coming here too. He says, "Look...I really gotta go." Pulling his hand away quickly and trying to slide off the bar stool.  
  
"Oh no. I just bought you a drink. Stay. I was just getting to know you better." Sully says, sliding Bosco back onto the stool by his belt.  
  
"I swear I know you." Sully says to Bosco.  
  
Bosco is crawling inside himself. He doesn't know what he's going to tell Sully that he was doing in this bar. He can't give away the fact that he is here looking for the same man as Sully...or Sully will know they are bugging his place. He could say that he is here undercover too, but Allen is telling Sully that Bosco is dating him, and has been for a year. He's never gonna live this down. Never.  
  
Sully snaps his fingers. "I got it...you were on the main float in the gay pride parade! Am I right?"  
  
"No! I wasn't in..."  
  
"I know who ya mean!" Allen says. "That was Michael Skabinski...and yes...they do look a lot alike. The same build."   
  
Sully gives Bosco a huge, ball busting grin, and says, "That must be why you look familiar. I never forget a cute butt...and that physique..." He says stepping back and looking Bosco over, "I could just eat you up."   
  
Bosco says again, "I really gotta go."  
  
Sully sits him back down on the stool again. "Wait till I tell the guys at work about this place."   
  
  
  
Bosco's eyes pop open wide. "No. I wouldn't do that. Don't mention this to anyone."   
  
"Oh don't be shy...this is two thousand three...it's surprising how many people live an alternative lifestyle. People you'd 'never' have guessed." He grins at Bosco again.  
  
"I gotta go." Bosco hops off the stool and gets right in Sully's face. "If I were you...I wouldn't mention this bar to anyone, especially people you work with." He says in a threatening tone. Then he storms out of the bar, with Allen following asking what's wrong, and can he have his phone number.   
  
*** 


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.  
  
Author's note: Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. I'm glad you all got a chuckle out of that chapter. As usual, if you read this, please review it.   
  
Previously in this story: Bosco goes under cover in a gay bar. Faith finds information that may clear Sully and works with Ty to get his girlfriend out of jail.   
  
~Chapter ten~  
  
[The next day]  
  
Bosco walks into the locker room and as he starts to open his locker, he notices Gusler staring at him. Bosco slowly looks over, and Gusler, who is putting his pants on, holds them up in front of himself and says, "Hey, stop staring at me."  
  
"What?" Bosco says all disgusted.  
  
"You heard me." He waves his hand in a gay gesture. "Turn your head while I get dressed."   
  
"Sully...and his big mouth!" Bosco shouts. He walks up to Gusler, who is now laughing, and grabs him by the shirt collar and says, "I'll kick your ass you little..."  
  
"Help...unhand me or I'll slap you." Gusler says in a sissy voice. Then he gently slaps Bosco's face.  
  
Bosco stops, stunned. Davis grabs him and pulls him away. "You keep your hands off my partner. You have your own male partner, from what I understand."  
  
"Grow up, Davis. I was undercover. Don't you start saying things like that...I mean it."  
  
"Undercover? That's what I heard. Sully says that you've been under the covers with this guy for about a year. Ouuu." Davis says smiling.   
  
"Yah...that's the best undercover work I've ever seen. Posing as a straight cop. You had me fooled." Gusler chuckles.  
  
"Son-of-a-bitch. I'll kill Sully. And I'll kill you, if you tell anyone else Davis...don't you try me."  
  
"Try you? Don't flatter yourself...you're not my type. Ouuu."  
  
Bosco grabs his weapon out of the locker and slams it shut. "I mean it Davis...I'm not in the mood for..."  
  
"Boscorelli?" Another officer steps around the lockers.  
  
"What do you want?" Bosco yells angrily at the guy.  
  
"What the hell is your problem? I just need to ask you a question." The guy barks back at him.  
  
"I'm sorry Jefferson. What do ya need to know?" Bosco says a little embarrassed.  
  
"Do these shoes go with this shirt? I don't want to be a fashion faux pas." Then he bursts out laughing, and so do three other guys who were listening behind the locker.  
  
Bosco pushes them aside as he storms out of the locker room, his face turning red.  
  
"Oh no...he's going out to have a good cry." One of them taunts.  
  
"Bosco...you're so sensitive." Another teases as they all laugh.  
  
********  
  
While the other officers are at roll call, Faith is already settling in behind the control desk. She notices an officer in plain clothes approaching the desk, escorting a prisoner in hand cuffs. She has never seen him before.  
  
"Hi...can I help you?"  
  
"Yes...I'm detective Minetti. I'm from the two three out of Wiltshire, Pennsylvania. We stopped this guy for a traffic violation and discovered he's wanted up here for murder."  
  
Looking surprised Faith says, "And you brought him all the way here yourself?"  
  
"Well...special circumstances. This moron killed a guy, who's family has money and political connections. They wanted him brought back fast. I had vacation scheduled, to come up here and visit my family in Jersey, and they paid me O.T. to bring him along and drop him off on my way. It's paying for my vacation."  
  
"Not a bad deal. Does he come with paperwork?"  
  
"Here you go." He hands her a file.  
  
"Great. My work is half done. Lock him to the bench over there and I'll take it from here. You can start your vacation."  
  
"Thanks. Say...can you recommend a good restaurant where I can get a decent coffee and a good meal before I drive to Jersey? I'm starved."  
  
"Sure...there's Shianno's. It's not far from here. I'll write ya directions."  
  
"Great. And can you point me to the men's room? It's been a long drive."  
  
"Down the end of this hall, and through the locker room." She watches him walk away and gets an idea. She types his name and precinct into the computer and his profile opens up. Grabbing a note paper, she writes down 'Minetti' along with the color, make and license plate number of Minetti's car. At the bottom she writes - Pennsylvania connection - Meet with family - Shianno's 4:00. On another paper she draws up directions to the restaurant.  
  
Minetti comes back from the men's room. She gives him the directions to the restaurant. He thanks her and leaves, just as the officers of the five-five come filtering out of roll call. She waves and calls Davis over. Bosco, watches as she talks quietly to Davis, sharing some secret. He sees her slide a note paper across the desk to him.  
  
She tells Davis, "Bosco is walking over here. Take this paper, and let him get it from you somehow."   
  
"Ok." He gives her an understanding smile.   
  
Bosco walks up, and Davis quickly tries to put the paper into his pocket, missing on purpose. Davis turns to Faith and says, "See you later." leaving the paper on the floor where it landed as if he didn't notice.   
  
Faith calls to him, "Good luck...be careful." as if she sent him on a dangerous mission.  
  
Bosco puts his foot over the note that Davis dropped on the floor, trying to figure out how to pick it up with out Faith noticing.   
  
"So where's Davis going?" He asks suspiciously.  
  
"Out on patrol...why?"   
  
"The way you said...never mind. Have you gotten any info for Sully?"  
  
"No...I umm...haven't had time. It's been...umm...sort of busy." She says unconvincingly.  
  
"Oh...ok." He says, looking around. He sees only one guy on the bench to be processed. He knows she is lying. She is keeping him out of the loop. He would feel guilty for sneaking this note that Davis dropped...but they've left him no choice.  
  
The minute Faith turns her back, he grabs the note and heads to Cruz to fill her in on the latest development.  
  
[Davis and Gusler head out on patrol]  
  
Davis slides in behind the wheel. He seems to have a destination as he pulls out and heads left on Arthur. Normally he asks Gusler where he'd like to go for coffee.  
  
"Where are we going?" Gusler asks.   
  
"There's a guy we need to find. A skell named Andy Patrillo. Him...or Bobby Bronell."   
  
"Well...what'd they do?" Gusler ask confused. He knows they haven't gotten a call.   
  
"They run numbers for a bookie named Buttarozzi. They haven't done anything. We need to question them, that's all."  
  
"This is about Faith's friend in lockup, isn't it? I've been paying attention."  
  
"You got a problem with that?" Davis asks, looking over at him.  
  
"No. I think it's kinda cool." He grins. "Like undercover work. Do you know what this guy looks like?"   
  
"Yah...I know Andy. He hangs out at the pool hall on a hundred and fourth. That's where we're headed."   
  
[Bosco and Cruz head out in their unmarked car]  
  
Bosco shows the note to Cruz. "What do ya make of it?"  
  
"It looks like Buford is branching out. He is making a connection with this guy from Pennsylvania. Lets run this plate and make sure it does belong to a guy named Minetti, and see what we can find out about him."  
  
"We can't. If you run the plate, Faith will know what we're doin...she's on the desk."   
  
"You're sure this is about Buford?"  
  
"I'm sure Faith was sneaking this information to Davis. When I asked her about it, she acted really suspicious. Especially when she said she had no new information."  
  
"Alright. Well...it's almost four o'clock now. Lets just see if this car even shows up in the first place."  
  
As they pull into the parking lot, Bosco shouts, "Bingo. There it is. We goin inside?"  
  
"No...we don't know what the guy looks like. Be patient. When he comes out, we'll follow him and see where he goes and who else he meets with."  
  
"Ok." Bosco shrugs.  
  
"This was good work, Boscorelli. We finally got some information that didn't end in a wild goose chase."  
  
[Meanwhile, back at the pool hall]  
  
Davis pulls up and parks. They both get out and he tells Gusler to wait out front. "If Andy sees me coming he may try to run. I need you to grab him if he runs out."  
  
"I don' know what he looks like. How will I know him if he does?"  
  
Davis stops and looks at him a little annoyed. "He'll be the one running."  
  
"Oh...right."  
  
Davis heads into the pool hall and walks up to the proprietor, who is a heavy, older, black man, reading the news paper. The man looks up from his paper and eyes Davis up and down.  
  
"Hi. I wonder if you gentlemen can help me." Davis says, noticing that the four other men that were shooting pool, have stopped and are looking over listening. "I'm looking for Andy Patrillo. I know he frequents this place."  
  
"I ain't seen him in a few days...have you boys?" the old man says glancing over his paper at the pool shooters.  
  
They all shake their heads no.  
  
"What'd he do now?" The man asks in a slow lazy drawl.  
  
"Nothing. I need some information from him." The old man laughs. Davis smiles and asks, "How about Bobby Bronell? Have you seen him around?"  
  
"Bobby B. don't hang round here too much. What information you need that Andy could help you with? Ya know the boy ain't too bright." He starts to laugh, then goes into a coughing jag.  
  
"A friend of his is missing. Billy Tarnell. Do you know him?"  
  
"Billy...missing? Is he in trouble?"  
  
"He may be. His family is worried enough to have called us."  
  
"Shiiit...his family don't give a rats ass about him. Why are ya really lookin fer him?"   
  
"Seriously...he's missing. We think he may have come to some harm. We just want to find him. None of these boys are in any trouble."  
  
Behind him, the door to the pool hall opens and a young man enters. All the men look over at him nervously. The old black man says to Davis, "Well...there ya go now." He nods towards the door and he points to the man that walked in.  
  
As Davis turns to look, the man stops abruptly, turns and darts back out the door. Davis yells for him to stop, and yells out for Gusler to grab him.  
  
Gusler hears a commotion from inside and hurries towards the door. Suddenly it bursts open and a man comes running out, running full force into Gusler. Their heads bang together with a 'clack' sound and both men spill to the sidewalk, holding their heads.  
  
Andy scrambles to get up. Davis walks up and, grabbing him by the back of his shirt, he lifts him to his feet. "Where ya going in such a hurry Andy?"  
  
"Hey...I didn't do anything wrong. Why are you hassling me?"  
  
"If you did nothing wrong...then why are you running from me?"  
  
"I wasn't running from you officer Davis, I was...ah...jogging."  
  
"Gusler...are you all right? You stand right there Andy." Davis says, as he helps Gusler to his feet.  
  
"Yah." Gusler says. "I'm gonna have a welt though." He rubs his head.  
  
"Nice job...you caught this hardened felon." Davis says, turning his attention back to Andy.  
  
"Aw...c'mon Davis. I really wasn't doing anything. I just wanted to shoot some pool." Andy pleads.  
  
"And you can...in a minute...I just need some information. That's all."  
  
"That's all you want?"  
  
"That's all. Tell me where Billy Tarnell is."  
  
"Billy? Man...that's a tough one. He skipped town, dude. Honest...I'd tell ya if I knew."  
  
"Ok...tell me why he skipped town."  
  
Andy looks around. "Well...he kinda lost some money that didn't belong to him. Now he's afraid. You know...of gettin his arms broke."  
  
"Yah? How'd he loose this money?"  
  
"You aren't gonna believe me."  
  
"Try me." Davis says.  
  
"He got mugged...by a cop."  
  
"A cop? Ya sure?"  
  
"He says he got pulled into an alley by this tough Latino bitch, and she rolled him."  
  
"So why'd he think she was a cop?"  
  
"Because she's arrested him before. She jacked him up against the wall and frisked him. He thought she was arresting him again. But then she took his bag of money and split. He'd have been better off with his boss if he'd been arrested. That's why he had to disappear."  
  
"Did he tell you this cops name?"  
  
"No."  
  
"How much money did he have?"  
  
"A few grand."  
  
"And what kind of bag did he have?"  
  
"A book bag...you know...the kind you sling over your back."  
  
"Do you think he'd be willing to come in and identify this cop?"  
  
"You mean like a police line up? No way...there's no way Buttarozzi would let him do that. He'd be a dead man for sure."  
  
"Alright Andy...how about this..." He takes Andy to the car and pulls out a clip board with a bunch of blank reports, and hands one to Andy. "You give this to him..."  
  
"I don't know where he..."  
  
"Ah...Ah...Ah...I know ya do. Just give this to him. Have him fill this out. Everything you just told me. About the cop...being frisked...I need to know the date and the exact amount missing...and have him say he was mugged delivering food from Buttarozzi's restaurant. Bring it to this pool hall and I'll pick it up later. He don't even have to come in. I'll file the report for him. Tell him I'm gonna try to get his money back for him."   
  
[Back at the precinct]  
  
Faith gets a call from her friend in forensics, asking her to come and see her. She tells Lieu she needs a break and heads over to the forensics garage.   
  
"Hi Libby, what's up? Ya find something?" Faith asks her friend.  
  
"Yah. You said ya needed to know how this trunk was entered and you wanted the finger prints of who ever unplugged the tail lights. Is that all ya need?"  
  
"Yah...did you find that out already?"  
  
"Yah...I just did the quick work up first, coz I got the impression this car didn't belong with the other cars it was cataloged with, and you wanted it out of here quickly. Am I right?"  
  
"Yes...you should have been a detective."  
  
"Don't insult me...I'm doin you a favor." She says with a grin. "This is what I found." She walks over to the car where the inside cover of the door has been disassembled. "The trunk keyhole didn't look tampered with, so I took the door apart and found these spots in the locking mechanism, where the grease has been smeared off."  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
"Someone used a jimmy bar to open the door. The kind that slides down into the window. That would mean they popped the trunk with the inside release so I took a print off the latch. I got a surprise hit on the print, so I took a print off the light plugs too...just to compare."  
  
"And?"   
  
"And...the print on both the latch and the plug, belonged to a cop."  
  
"Was it one of the arresting officers?"   
  
"You tell me...was Cruz the arresting officer?"  
  
"Cruz?! Cruz was in this girls trunk?"  
  
"I had a feeling that would surprise you. Cruz is known for planting evidence. Her name wasn't on the arrest file for this car...I checked. Look Faith, I don't know why Cruz is fuckin with the owner of this car, but if you pursue this, she can be one dangerous son-of-a-bitch."  
  
"Yah...I know. I'll be careful."  
  
"Well...I'm not just concerned about you...I don't want that psycho cop comin after me and my crew here. This information was not exactly found by the book. If you want to nail her for this, you'll have to find a way to get this paperwork through the proper channels. Someone with authority has to approve it."   
  
"Right. I understand Libby. I appreciate you doin this for me. I really didn't know what I was getting you involved in. I'm sorry. You won't have any trouble over this, I promise. I'll have this car out of here before the end of the shift." Faith starts to leave.  
  
"Ya know Faith...I'd love to see her get what's comen to her. Good luck."   
  
"Thanks, Libby. I'm gonna try."   
  
[The next day]  
  
Davis picks up Sully and Faith, and the three of them go out for lunch to discuss their latest findings. It all boils down to Sergeant Cruz. Cruz got Faith suspended. Cruz framed Sully. And Cruz planted drugs in Jackie's trunk.  
  
They have evidence to prove these facts and clear themselves. But that's not enough. The punishment for her deeds, may be only a suspension or even as lenient as a reprimand in her file. And that will only make her plot more vengeance against them. No...they need to take care of her themselves, in a way that will be of her own account, and the punishment, comparable to the trouble she's caused all of them. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.  
  
Authors note: Thanks again to my few loyal reviewers, it means a lot to me, to read what you have to say. And Faith-In-Faith...I almost made that same mistake three more times in this chapter...thanks, nice catch.  
  
Previously in this story: Faith sends Bosco and Cruz on a wild goose chase following a guy on vacation from Pennsylvania. Davis finds out Cruz was the one who planted the money in Sully's apartment. And Faith finds out Cruz planted the drugs in Ty's girlfriend's car. Ty, Faith, and Sully, plan to get even.  
  
~Chapter eleven~  
  
Faith starts the shift behind the desk. She has one more day after today, and then she can go back on patrol. The other officers are in roll call. When they come filing out, Davis approaches her. As they start talking, Bosco wanders over to try and listen to what they are saying.  
  
He hears Davis say something about meal break, then he quickly shuts up when Bosco gets closer. "Hey what's goin on? Anything new?" Bosco asks.  
  
"No. I guess Sully's informants aren't as reliable as he thought." Davis says. He gives Faith a knowing glance. "I'll see you later on."  
  
Bosco notices the suspicious look between Davis and Faith. "Nothing huh? So...does that mean that you guys are giving up?"  
  
She nods. "Looks like we've been wasting our time."  
  
"I'd be inclined to agree." Bosco puts his hands on the counter and says, "Do you wanna tell me what this is?" He lifts his hand, exposing the note that sent him and Cruz running in circles yesterday. "That's your hand writing."  
  
She picks it up, forcing herself not to smile, and says, "A doodle."  
  
"A doodle?"   
  
"Yah. I was doodling. Where'd ya find this?"  
  
"On the floor. It's got a name and plate number...and information on someone. "  
  
"Yah...I ran a name through the computer, to verify who this guy was. He's a cop from Pennsylvania. Then he was tellin me he's here on vacation, visitin his family. He was having dinner at Shianno's at four o'clock. See?" She says pointing. "I was doodling as we talked." She crinkles it up and throws it out. "What did you think it was?"  
  
"Nothing...I uh...thought...it was something important that you might need...I thought you dropped it." He looks down a little embarrassed. "So...when are you back on patrol?"  
  
"Tomorrow is my last day on the desk. I can't wait to get back. I hate being on the desk, it's really boring."  
  
"Hey...why don't I swing by later, and we can take meal break together." He wants to find out what Davis was talking about earlier.  
  
"Oh...I can't today. I got plans. How about tomorrow?"  
  
"What plans?"  
  
"Sully is comin by...I'm joining him and Davis at Campy's."  
  
"Well...then I'll just join you guys." He offers.  
  
"Ah, boy. I wish you could...but Davis called to add me to the reservation...and they did...but, reluctantly. I don't think they'll let us add one more. I'm sorry. Let's do it another time, ok?"  
  
"Well...then...I guess I'll find something else to do. I'd better get out there. See ya."   
  
[Bosco is in Cruz's office]  
  
"So she played you with that fake information?" Cruz says angrily.  
  
"No...I must have grabbed the wrong paper. Davis found something out yesterday, though. Sully is meeting with Davis and Faith at meal break. They won't let me join them so I know something is up. We need to get someone to Campy's to find out what they talk about."  
  
"You're sure about this? Because so far, Boscorelli, you're information has been shit."  
  
"Well...find out for yourself. Get someone over there to listen to them. If you get nothing...then...that's it...I'm done."  
  
"Ok...you said Campy's?" She makes a phone call. "Yah, Glen...Maritza here. I need you to set up a bug at Campy's restaurant for me...No, I'll meet you there within the hour...I'll take care of the paper work later. I need this in right away...No it can be removed by the end of the shift...right...I need to hear a conversation that is going to happen at this restaurant tonight...A warrant? I'll get one later if I think I need it. Ok, see you in a few."   
  
[Cruz and Bosco are at the restaurant]  
  
While Bosco looks through the reservation book, Cruz explains to the owner that she is placing a listening device at a certain table. "This is police business. No one will be at risk here. These people are not dangerous. We just need to listen to a conversation they will be having, in connection with another crime."  
  
"Here it is...John Sullivan, party of three." Bosco says, underlining the name in the book.   
  
"Alright, when this party arrives, it will be one fat guy and two police officers, I want you to seat them at that table." She points to the table where Glen is placing the wire tap in the centerpiece. "Do you understand? This is very important."  
  
"Yah...I got it." The hostess says. "I'll make sure that no one else does any of the seating tonight."  
  
Cruz and Bosco go outside to wait in the van where they are testing the wire tap, to be sure that it's functioning properly.   
  
Glen looks nervously at Cruz. "Ya know...I'm not comfortable with this Maritza. No paperwork, no warrant...I could get into a lot of trouble."  
  
"It's ok. I told you...I'll take care of all that later. I won't need this information in court anyway. I'm just gathering information so I can get some evidence."  
  
"Whatever you say. But if anyone asks...this never happened. I will vehemently deny that I ever placed this bug here...or was involved in this in any way. At least until that paper work is on my desk."  
  
"Good. That works for me." She says, smiling at him.  
  
[A few hours later]  
  
Sully walks into the restaurant with Davis and Faith. The hostess seats them at the table and they tell her they are limited for time so they order their food right away. As soon as she walks away, Sully says, "Well, have you found out anything about our situations?"  
  
"Yah Sul. I found out where the money came from that was planted in your apartment." Davis informs him. "I can't actually prove it but, it was money stolen from a numbers runner. And guess who stole it from him."   
  
"Tell me." Sully says.   
  
"Maritza Cruz."  
  
"Cruz? What...c'mon Davis that's crazy. I know she's an asshole but this is..."  
  
"You haven't heard the half of it." Faith says. "That bastard Cruz is the behind the complaints against me. She got me suspended. And Davis...you aren't immune from her wrath either. I found out that she is the one that planted the drugs in Jackie's car."  
  
"What!" Davis says angrily. "Are you sure. Why in the hell would she do that? I mean...I know that she hates Sully, and she's always had something against you Faith, but why would she have it out for Jackie? She don't even know her."  
  
"My guess is that she's a psychopath. She has an emotional disorder, or she's just plain crazy. She can't help but lash out at people, she's evil. I'm not just assuming this...believe me, I wish it had been someone else. Trying to prove that a sergeant was behind all this will be impossible. Especially her. I'm sure she has all the angles covered. But I have proof that she was in Jackie's car."  
  
"Well then...if you have proof, that's all we need. I'm not afraid to take her down."  
  
"I have proof...but I didn't obtain it legally. We can't use it. All we can do is accept it, and watch our backs."   
  
"And...we can at least piss her off. Nothing would burn her ass more, than if we found Buford before she did." Sully interjects. "Which brings us to our agenda...how is the search coming?" Sully asks.  
  
"Well...it's really hard trying to track down information with Bosco hovering around all the time. But all the bogus leads we've sent him on, has helped. I got the names of a lot of rich and very powerful people that I believe we can tie to Buford. They are all backing him with money, and I figured out which one of them is him."  
  
"Which one?" Sully asks anxiously.  
  
"His name is Hector Pinaro." Faith informs him.  
  
Davis says. "I've been following around the guys you told me about, Sul, and feeding their contacts to Faith. Yesterday I followed one guy down to the pier and found him inquiring about a slip for this Hector."   
  
Faith adds, "There is almost no information to be found on him. And everything I find, ends in some information loop or a dead end that makes it look as though he doesn't really exist. He's living in Florida right now. He appears to be worth a 'lot' of money but I can't trace where it came from. And he's only twenty four years old. I did find that he owns a boat. A very very large boat. Too large for a slip...he'll have to dock at the pier."  
  
"The name of the boat is 'The East Coast Ghost'. The guys I've been tracking for you, have been using that term a lot, in reference to who they work for. It's gotta be more than a coincidence." Davis tells him.  
  
Faith continues, "The hardest part about tracking him is that he goes by Hector or Buford, and sometimes he uses either name as his last name. I had to keep cross referencing the names, but I did find the one piece of evidence we needed...a finger print."  
  
"How in the world did you get that?"   
  
"When he was young he got caught shoplifting. I had to really pull some strings to get into his juvy file, because it had been sealed by a judge...but I got a print, and I got a match on it."  
  
"And?" Sully says excitedly.  
  
"It matches the print they got off the car that Cruz and Bosco were chasing, before Buford slipped away. I put everything together in a pretty complicated file that I have hidden under the desk. But if you follow it from name to name, it all traces back to Hector Pinaro."  
  
  
  
"Nice work guys...we got him. Now...we need to bring him in. Any idea on when he's coming to town?" Sully asks.  
  
"I'm working on that now." Faith offers. "I have one more day on the desk. I'm gonna take my list of names and start running checks through the airlines to see who's coming to town, and when. Davis has a hunch that Buford has been preparing for some kind of meeting with the people who's names you gave me."   
  
"And don't forget to check on the 'East Coast Ghost'." Davis adds. "I'll bet he'll be arriving in town on that."  
  
[Bosco and Cruz are inside the van listening to the wire tap]  
  
"Eeeah...alright!" Cruz cries out excitedly. "We got it. Boscorelli...you finally came through. Buford, or should I say Hector Pinaro, is ours."  
  
Bosco stares at her in silence.  
  
"As soon as Buford is behind bars, I'm gonna recommend that you be transferred to ACU...permanently." Bosco still says nothing. "What?! What's that look for?" She says, her mood darkening.  
  
"Is it true? What they said...did you really get Faith suspended and set up Sully and Davis' girlfriend?"  
  
"Oh grow up Boscorelli. Nobody is all clean. Nobody. This isn't 'Chips', and I ain't Eric Estrada. Even your girlfriend Yokas isn't totally clean, she got that information on me illegally. You can't trust anyone a hundred percent."  
  
"Even you? Because I did trust you...a hundred percent."   
  
"Then you're a fool...and that's just what they have been doing...making you look the fool all week. You can trust 'me' until you get on my bad side, which is what they did." Her voice gets all soft and sweet. "But right now...you're very much on my good side." She places her hand on his cheek. "We are going to nail this Buford together...right? You're still with me? That other stuff has nothing to do with you...or us. Tonight you will be rewarded for your good work. And tomorrow you will get revenge...if you still want in on it."  
  
Bosco thinks about it. Being sent to the gay bar...and then teased. Following a guy all around Jersey for a whole day...for no reason. She's right...they pushed him out of the loop and then made him look stupid. He doesn't owe them any loyalty. He didn't have anything to do with their trouble, all he has done is take information from them. Buford isn't theirs to get, he's up for grabs, and if he grabs him first, it will further his career. He has to think about himself first. To hell with them.  
  
"Yah...I'm in." He nods his head, then smiles. "I'm definitely in. What do we do next?"  
  
"I'm gonna check into that boat, 'The East Coast Ghost'...you're gonna get that file away from Yokas. We can't let her get any more information. We have to find out when those people are coming to town before she does. We are gonna nail Buford and his contacts. This will mean a promotion for me...and I'm bringing you with me."   
  
[Later...Back at the precinct]  
  
  
  
Bosco walks by the desk and notices that Faith is frantically searching for something. She looks very upset. Davis is standing there talking to her and he looks very upset as well.  
  
"Are you sure you left it back there?" Davis asks.  
  
"Yes...I'm positive!" Faith answers, almost yelling. "It was under all these files. Someone took it."  
  
"Well...do ya have a copy of it?" Davis asks worriedly.  
  
Faith looks up from below the counter and shouts at Davis, "If I had a copy would I be searching this desperately?"  
  
"I can't believe you lost it."   
  
"I didn't lose it! I'm telling you someone..."  
  
"What did you lose?" Bosco asks.  
  
They both say to him, "Nothing."   
  
"Um...she misplaced a report I handed in." Davis offers.  
  
"Well...what type of report? I'll help ya look for it." Bosco offers, then heads around the desk. "Traffic? Missing person?...What?"  
  
"No...that's alright, I'll find it myself. Do you need something?" Faith says to Bosco.  
  
"No. I just wanted to ask how your lunch date was."  
  
"Oh. It was fine."  
  
Bosco looks back and fourth from Davis to Faith. "Man...you two are really upset about this stupid report. Was it that important? Can't you just write up another one?" Bosco says to Davis.  
  
"Yah...that's what I'll do." Davis says.  
  
Cruz enters the precinct and walks up to the desk. "Who died?" she asks.   
  
"Nobody. Faith misplaced a report." Bosco pipes in.  
  
"What...have you never lost a report before, Yokas? You look like you're about to cry." She shoots her a crooked grin and walks away with Bosco.  
  
Once they are out of earshot, Cruz says, "Damn Boscorelli...you work fast."  
  
"Only when I need to. Did you see the look on their faces? I almost felt bad for them."  
  
"I want to see the file." She sounds like a kid at Christmas.  
  
"It's in your office. And I can see why Faith was so upset about losing it...she has a lot of information in there. And the tangle of red tape tracing who Buford really is...man, it's amazing she cracked it. She has every one of his contacts, where everyone is from, how much they're worth, what possible connection they would have with Buford. We don't have to do anything except check the airlines for a ticket."  
  
"And the finger print is in there?"  
  
"It's in there...along with the fingerprint taken off the car."  
  
Cruz scans the file. "Damn...your girlfriend outdid herself. Maybe I'm workin with the wrong member of 55 David." She gives him a grin.  
  
"So shall we start callin the airlines?" He smiles back.  
  
"No...we need to be more careful. Yokas still knows the names on that list, and she may be able to retrieve them from the computer. We need to go down to the airport and give them an order to suppress their passenger lists until we finish our investigation."  
  
"Can we do that?"  
  
"We can draw up something that looks official, stating that the information cannot be given out to anyone, even other law enforcement agencies, until we lift the order. It isn't legally binding, but they may honor it, if they think it's for their own protection."   
  
******** 


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.   
  
Author's Note: Thanks to my Faithful reviewers, and to the few new ones too. I love hearing from you.  
  
Previously in this story: Faith meets with Sully and Davis at a restaurant to discuss what information they have gathered. Cruz has a wire tap placed in the restaurant and over hears them discussing Buford's identity. Bosco steals all the information that Faith has gathered, and together with Cruz, start planning to arrest him before the other officers can.  
  
~Chapter twelve~  
  
Cruz calls the port authority and inquires about the boat called the East Coast Ghost. They tell her that the boat is in their logs to arrive in the early morning on Friday. It is planning to anchor off shore until two p.m. and then it will dock at pier 63. It will remain docked until eight p.m. to load passengers and then it is scheduled to pull out of the harbor after that. It is scheduled to return to pier 63 Sunday evening.   
  
Cruz rounds up a team of eight, and heads to the airport. She is armed with a stack of documents, requesting that they allow her access to their passenger list, and banning any other persons, including all other law enforcement agencies, from accessing this information for a week or until their investigation is finished.   
  
Soon, the members of the ACU team are at the reservation desks of all the major airlines, handing out and explaining the order for them to suppress the information, while Bosco and Cruz, are in the security office scanning the passenger lists of every flight into New York for the people on Faith's list.  
  
"Look at these names...they even sound rich. Worthington, Ellicott, Allen-Dwyer, Goldstein, Bloomington, Braddock...man...how do these rich people end up associating with a drug lord like Buford?" Bosco asks.  
  
"You know what they say, 'it takes money to make money'. Buford doesn't hang with the skells. He's a big shot now. Half of them probably don't even know they are hanging with a drug dealer. They don't know where their money is, they have too much of it."  
  
"Well...they'll find out on Friday." Bosco grins at the thought of arresting the social elite.  
  
They match the names on the list that are from out of town, with a flight into New York within the next day or two. It looks as though Buford is planning a big meeting on his boat, with all his contacts. The more names they find, the more excited Cruz gets.  
  
[The next day]  
  
Faith is working her last day on the desk, then she has two days off and comes back on patrol on Friday. Officers Carter and Marcum of 55-Adam, have just brought in two guys for fighting in a bar. They are drunk and belligerent. One of the men is bleeding from his face. As the men are escorted to the desk, they are swearing at each other and at the arresting officers.  
  
Bosco is heading towards Cruz's office when he notices the commotion at the front desk. He sees Faith, but she doesn't see him. He stops and watches her for a while, as she tries to be patient with the obnoxious drunks, and for that matter with 55-Adam. They are being no help to her with these guys. One officer has gone for coffee, and the other is just standing there. Bosco gets a melancholy smile as he watches her.  
  
"Name?" she asks.  
  
"Fuck you." The guy tells her.  
  
"Nice." She looks to officer Marcum. "Does he have a name?"  
  
"Tell her your name." He says shaking the guy a little.  
  
"Kiss my ass ya fuckin pig."  
  
"Well does he have a wallet?" Faith says, getting impatient.  
  
He pulls the man's wallet out of his pants pocket and tosses it on the counter.  
  
Bosco can see the look that Faith just gave the lazy officer. He has seen and even received that look from her before. He grins, knowing she is going to lose it any minute. He knows her so well after the eight years that they have been partners.   
  
She notices that blood is dripping from the drunk's nose onto the floor. "Hey, he's bleedin all over the place, would ya do somethin about it Marcum?"  
  
"I will...as soon as you're done. I ain't uncuffen him until he's in the lockup."  
  
"Well then, take him back there. Get him cleaned up and then I'll do this paper work..."  
  
"Look...you just do your job and I'll do mine. And hurry it up, I gotta hit the head." The officer says, stopping her in mid sentence, then glancing back to what he was staring at.  
  
She glares at him for a second, then opens the wallet and starts to copy information onto the paper, when the perp leans against the counter, getting into her face, and talking filthy to her.   
  
"Hey, have you ever been fucked by a real man? Huh? I'll bet you like it rough."  
  
She pauses to glance up at him, then to Marcum, who ignores it, then she continues writing. "What d'ya say bitch...you come to the lockup with me. I'll screw your brains out."  
  
Bosco can't hear what the guy is saying to her, but he can tell by her look, it's not good. He's getting a little pissed that Marcum isn't defending her honor.  
  
She tries to write faster. "Don't ignore me. You know ya want it. You don't look like you get it much."   
  
He leans in closer to her. "What are ya too good for me? Fuck you." He is so close now that blood is dripping on her paper."  
  
"Aw Marcum! Back him off of me. I'm tryin ta work here." She shouts.  
  
'That's my partner, with her gentle tone,' Bosco thinks, chuckling to himself.   
  
Marcum is gawking at the hookers that were escorted in, and is not paying any attention, as the perp then leans his cheek down onto the paper and smears it with the blood from his face.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you!" She yells, moving her hands out of the way.  
  
The guy laughs and then spits at her.   
  
"Son-of-a-bitch...Marcum!" She barks as she heads towards the ladies room.  
  
  
  
The guy kicks Marcum and tries to run off. Bosco starts to run over to help, but before he can, Faith turns towards the guy and grabs him from behind, slamming him first into the wall, then to the floor. She vents quite a bit of her anger on the guy before Marcum pulls her off and picks the guy up.  
  
Bosco is grinning from ear to ear now. 'She's such a delicate flower.' He thinks to himself.  
  
Faith starts to walk off. "Hey...you didn't finish the paper work. Where the hell are ya going?" Marcum yells to her. She shoots him a 'fuck you' look as she leaves to go wash up.  
  
Bosco is staring off in a far away gaze and smiling. He was always proud of his partner, of how she can handle herself, and he especially loves it when she gets angry and loses it. His smile fades as he realizes that he may never get to work with her again. Not as partners anyway. He realizes how much he misses riding with her. He wonders how they got this distant...why she decided to push him away. He feels like following her into the locker room, and talking with her...like they used to talk, but then Cruz comes walking up and pulls him out of his thoughts.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" Cruz asks him.  
  
"Nothing...watching the show. Marcum has his hands full." Bosco says, feeling his face flush.   
  
  
  
But Cruz knows that he was watching Faith. She decides she had better keep Bosco busy until the raid on Buford's boat, because she doesn't trust him to stay away from her. And Faith would surely know how to get information out of him.  
  
[Two days later...Friday]  
  
Faith enters the locker room where Davis and the other officers are changing for their shift.   
  
"Hey...welcome back." Davis says smiling.   
  
"Thanks. I feel like I've been gone for years. Everything seems different...you know ...with out Sully...and Bos."   
  
As she says it, Bosco walks in and opens his locker, glancing over at her. "Good you're here. I was hoping to see you before roll call. Glad to be back?"  
  
"It feels weird."  
  
"Why? You weren't really gone that long." Bosco says sheepishly.  
  
She answers, "Well...for one thing, you're on time." Davis laughs, then stops, noticing the awkward glances they are giving each other, then he excuses himself to roll call, so they can have some time alone to talk.   
  
Bosco sits down, straddling the bench. "Actually...I've been here for a few hours already." He says, trying to make conversation.  
  
"Really? That's weirder still. What's goin on that you came in so early?"  
  
"I can't really say, but...it's...it's a sting that Cruz and her team have been workin on for six or seven months now." he lies, knowing that they just got all the information from her two days ago.   
  
For some reason he feels guilty for lying to her. Or maybe the guilt is from the fact that this sting is the result of all the time and effort 'she' put into it, and 'he' is going to get all the glory...because he 'stole' it from her. And he may possibly get promoted...from all the work she did.  
  
She sits down at the other end of his bench. "So I guess we ain't ridin together today."   
  
"No...maybe tomorrow." He looks down at the floor. He knows that isn't true either. "I wish we 'were' ridin together. We haven't talked in a long time. I wasn't really sure that you even wanted to ride with me anymore." He looks up at her. "You seem to be...well...spendin a lot of time talkin with Davis."  
  
"Davis." she says surprised. "Why, because I went with him to meet Sully for lunch the other day?"  
  
"No...you just haven't talked to 'me' in a while." He says sounding pouty.  
  
"I've been stuck on the desk...and you've been spending all your time with Cruz."  
  
"What does that mean...are you jealous or something?" he says defensively.  
  
"Jealous? Not jealous...but it hurts me to think that you'd rather work with someone like her, than with me." She says it, knowing that he now knows everything about Cruz.  
  
"Someone like her? You mean someone who will get the job done no matter what it takes? Someone with street smarts?"  
  
That statement shocked her. She snaps at him. "She is spiteful and crooked, and yes...she will do anything it takes to get the job done, even ruin another officer. She doesn't care who she steps on to advance herself...or who she hurts to get what she wants. That's not street smarts...that's street behavior. She is a criminal with a badge. And that is a dangerous thing."  
  
"It wouldn't be dangerous if you would work with her instead of against her."  
  
"I stay within the limits of the law...and you call it working against her."   
  
"You're twisting my words. You just hate her because you don't want me to work with someone else."  
  
"I hate her because she's made you 'become' someone else."  
  
"And just who have I become Faith? Huh? A better cop maybe?"  
  
"You've become her...you've become just like her."  
  
"Well, it's better than staying around here and becoming the 'nobody' that you're trying to turn me into. You're holdin me back." He stands up and leans over her in an almost threatening way. "She is twice the cop that you are. You'll never be anything more. And if I stick with you...I'll never be anything more either." Then he storms out of the locker room.   
  
He feels the sting of what he just said. He doesn't even know why he said it. He had no intention of fighting with her. He certainly didn't believe it. In fact he was planning to just sit and talk like old friends...like they used to. He was secretly hoping they would have a real heart to heart and he could confess to all the underhanded things he's done to her. Relieve himself of all this guilt he's feeling. Then he would bring her along to nab Buford so she could get the credit she deserves for all the work she did to catch him. Although Cruz would never forgive him. But that's what bothers him the most...he doesn't care if 'Cruz' would never forgive him.   
  
Faith sits there in silence after Bosco walked out. She is stunned by the force of his words. She honestly thought he was planning to get things out in the open with her. She knows that he heard their conversation at the restaurant. She really thought...now that he knows what kind of person Cruz really is, and what she did to her...to every one...that he would apologize for ever following Cruz. And if he did, she was planning to warn him not to go on that bust with her. Although Sully and Davis would really be pissed at her for warning him, but...she really don't care if 'they're' pissed or not.  
  
As Bosco storms out of the locker room, he runs into Cruz.  
  
"I've been lookin for you. What the hell were you doin?" She growls at him.  
  
"Getting somethin out of my locker. What do you want?" He snaps back.  
  
"What the hell's your problem?"  
  
"I ain't got a problem." He says angrily.  
  
"Did I do somethin to piss you off?" She asks.  
  
"Nope." He says as he keeps walking away from her.  
  
She follows, glaring at him. "They told me you were talking to Yokas. Did she find out what's goin on?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then what did you two talk about?"  
  
"That's none of your business."  
  
"Like hell it ain't!" She grabs his arm and stops him. "You talk to her, and now you have a bug up your ass. I want to know, Boscorelli, are you having second thoughts about this? Did you tell her about the sting?"  
  
"We didn't talk about 'that' at all. She's pissed at me about somethin else...as usual. But don't worry...I'll get over it...because after tonight, I won't ever have to deal with her again. So just give me a minute to cool off, ok?" Then his tone softens. "She just...she really knows how to push my buttons. Ya know what I mean? It's nothing important. Really."  
  
"Ok then. Good. Let's go." She gives him a big grin. "Let's go make a name for ourselves."  
  
"Absolutely. What's our next move?"  
  
"I want to call the Port Authority and confirm our ride out to the boat tonight, and then we just go to the pier and watch as our future prisoners climb aboard."   
  
[Faith and Davis are parked on the street in their RMP]  
  
Davis is sitting behind the wheel, talking about Jackie hiring a lawyer, while Faith stares out the window, holding a half a cup of cold coffee.  
  
"So her lawyer says he really wants that report on the fingerprint you got out of her car."  
  
"Uh huh." She mumbles.  
  
"Are ya still working on it?"  
  
"Right." She says without looking over.  
  
"Faith." No response. "Yokas!" Davis barks.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You haven't heard a word I've said to you. Can you get that report or not?"  
  
"I told you, Davis. It all depends on whether or not Cruz signs the requisition papers without noticing that she did. That will make it legal." She says annoyed.   
  
"What the hell did Bosco say to you?" He says equally annoyed.  
  
"What?" She looks over at him. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"You were in a good mood in the locker room. Then I left you with him for five minutes, now you're..." He waves his open hand at her. "...you're like this."  
  
She sighs and slouches down in the seat. "I'm sorry, Ty."  
  
"You're not regretting what we did, are you?" He asks.  
  
"Not at the moment. How about you? Hector is your friend. You have any regrets?"  
  
"Nah. He isn't my friend. Just a snob I knew at the academy. So what did that little pin head say to upset you?"  
  
"I just can't believe he still idolizes that bastard. After all the stuff he knows she did. He's still defending her...still willing to follow her through the gates of hell."  
  
"It's Bosco...he can't think for himself. He just does what she tells him."  
  
"He told me I hold him back...that she's twice the cop I am." She says it softly as if she doesn't really want it to be heard. She's on the verge of tears, but swallows the feeling away and looks down to avoid eye contact with him.   
  
"He said that to you!" Davis' voice is a mix of shock and anger. "That's a horrible, horrible thing to say...even for Bosco."   
  
He can see how upset she is, so he says comically, "You want me to kick his ass for you? Coz I will."  
  
She rolls her eyes up at him and says softly, "Yah."  
  
"Ok then. If that will put you in a better mood...then...then, I'll just kick his ass."  
  
"Yah...it will." She tries to suppress a smile, but he's grinning so big it makes her bust up.   
  
"As soon as they finish booking him tonight...he's getting an ass whoopin." They both start laughing. "Man I would love to be there to see the look on their faces."  
  
[Cruz and Bosco are at the pier]  
  
"How many people do you think that boat holds?" Bosco asks her.  
  
"Twenty or thirty. I don't know, I've never been in a boat that big."  
  
"Look at this guy with the gold bow tie. You'd think that with all his money he could find someone to help him dress good."  
  
"What time is it?" She asks for the third time in the last twenty minutes  
  
"It's around seven thirty...still. We got a half an hour to wait. Oh my God...look at that old geezer with three hot young babes gettin out of that limo. Oh man. Hold on...Mr. Gold bow tie is movin in on one of them."   
  
The more expensive the car, the more excited Bosco is about arresting them. But he is not nearly as excited as Cruz. She has been waiting almost a year to nail Buford.  
  
As she waits, she thinks about how good it's going to feel to go to sleep tonight, knowing that the restless, unsettling feeling of unfinished business will be gone. That she can now rest...having closure. And by putting Letty's killer away, she can put her sister to rest in her mind. She has been waiting a long time, and she has been consumed with it. Nothing else and no one else, has mattered to her. After tonight, she can get on with her life. She had let herself become a cold, hard person...but now she can almost feel the iciness melting off of her.  
  
****** 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks for the wonderful reviews...I'm glad that you are all enjoying this story. Now this is what you've been waiting to read...  
  
Previously in this story: Bosco and Cruz set up a sting to bust Buford and his financial backers for his drug cartel, using the information that Bosco stole from Faith. The two of them have a huge fight.   
  
~Chapter thirteen~  
  
It is after eight o'clock and the East Coast Ghost has just pulled away from pier 63. Cruz, along with Bosco and a team of 11, are waiting for a boat from the Port Authority to come and pick them up.  
  
"I don't know why we didn't just bust them before they pulled out. It would have been so much easier to have them here on shore." Bosco says, annoyed and impatient to make the arrest.  
  
"I told you...I do not want to run the risk of Buford getting away. Out in the water, he has nowhere to escape to."  
  
"Well then we should have notified the coast guard...for backup...this is so much more dangerous for us."  
  
"I said...I am not sharing this bust with anyone!" She glares at him angrily. "The coast guard will take this bust right out from under us, as soon as we get beyond the harbor."  
  
"Whatever." Bosco groans.  
  
Soon, they are on a boat, speeding towards the other. It is a warm clear night, with nearly a full moon. Bosco is staring at Cruz. She is leaning over the front rail, as if to be as close to Buford as she can possibly get. He can see her face, lit by the soft moonlight, and even that, with the backdrop of twinkling lights in the darkness beyond, her face looks hard. Yet she has a hint of a smile as she watches the boat they are gaining on, moving only to wipe a strand of hair from her face, then grabbing the rail again in a frozen position, like a cat stalking her prey.   
  
Bosco wonders where he fits in all her plans now...now that he really has severed all ties with Faith. Is Maritza really going to bring him along with her as she claws her way up. Has she accepted him as one in her pride...or is she merely toying with him, the way a cat plays with a mouse, until she's tired of it...or it dies. He watches her, hoping to see something in her that he's never seen...tenderness.  
  
As the boat draws near, Cruz orders the driver to stop the engines and coast up to the other boat, so they can slip aboard undetected. With all the noise of music and laughter coming from the larger boat, that shouldn't be too hard. And then she rounds her team together to give them one final set of instructions.  
  
"Ok, we board the boat, and wait until every one is aboard before we make a move. Fuentes and Sergio, your job is to get the driver, and take over the controls. The rest of us just circle around on the boat, bringing every one we come across, to the deck...cuff their hands behind their back...and have them lay face down on the deck until we reach the shore. Keep them silent. I don't mean just quiet...I want them saying nothing to each other or to any of you. You know what to do." Several officers pull out a roll of duct tape.  
  
Bosco looks in disbelief. "You have them bring duct tape?"  
  
She says to him quietly, "They know my routine. I don't want any of them communicating...not to each other, not to my team. There is a lot of money on this boat...enough to turn anybody's head."  
  
"You don't trust your team to turn down a bribe?" He whispers.  
  
"I don't trust anyone."  
  
[Shortly]  
  
They have coasted up to the East Coast Ghost, and they are almost all aboard, without any encounters. As the last two men climb the ladder to board the boat, the music suddenly stops and a man's voice sounds out from the front of the boat, hushing everyone.   
  
"Ok...quiet...can I have everyone's attention please. Is everyone having a good time so far?" A chorus of happy voices chime out their approval.  
  
At the back of the boat, the officers split up into two groups and begin getting into position.  
  
"Does everyone have a glass of champagne?" The response is a mix of yes and no, followed by the sound of glasses being filled.   
  
The two groups, stealthily sneak around the upper cabin and prepare to run out onto the deck to encircle the group.   
  
"I want to thank everyone for joining me on my boat. And I want to talk about a merger...a merger that I think will please everyone and be beneficial to all involved and to the future of each of our families..."  
  
Suddenly the cops burst onto the deck, pointing their weapons and screaming for everyone to 'get down'. The women scream and the men, equally startled, call out in a flood of questions and demands for an explanation as to what is happening.  
  
The officers brutally assist the men to the floor of the deck, barking viciously for them to 'get down' and 'shut up'. The women are pulled from their chairs and pushed to the floor also, and everyone is being bound quickly and efficiently with plastic tie wraps.  
  
And as each man tries to sound off his disapproval to what is happening, a piece of duct tape is placed over his mouth along with any woman who can not stop herself from screaming. Within twelve minutes time, every man and woman on the boat is bound and gagged, and is heading back to shore for processing, as Cruz reads them their rights.  
  
[Cruz and her team escort the boat load of people into the 55.]   
  
  
  
"What the hell is this Maritza?" The lieutenant asks shocked. "I wasn't informed about any raids."  
  
"I didn't use any of your people. We didn't need any backup. It went down clean...like clockwork."  
  
"And what is this with the duct tape? Get that off of them right now." He orders her. Lieu is looking at the mix of people that is being escorted in, and half of them appear to be in their fifties and sixties. "Who is this you're bringing in?"  
  
"Lieu...meet Buford." She says smugly, pulling Hector out of the group by his shirt. She orders her team, "You guys make these people comfortable in the lock up. Boscorelli...come with me. We're going to question this guy first." She takes Hector down the hall to an interrogation room.   
  
Hector yells out, and even Bosco cringes, as Cruz rips the tape off his mouth. "Ahh...Jesus. You bastard." He has a hundred things to say, and doesn't even know where to begin. He gathers his thoughts as she cuts the tie wrap from his wrists.  
  
Rubbing the marks they gouged into his writs, Hector speaks. "You have just made the biggest mistake of your lives."   
  
"Oh no...should we turn him loose Sarge?" Bosco says sarcastically.  
  
"Laugh it up smart ass. I'll have you're badge by morning. Along with hers and anyone else involved in this. You people have no idea who you just arrested."  
  
"I think we have a pretty good idea...Buford." Cruz says, studying his reaction.  
  
He squints and looks up at her. "You keep calling me that. My name is Hector..."  
  
"Yah...I know Hector Pinaro...Hector Buford...Buford Pinaro... Harry Buford. I could go on...but why don't you just tell me which name you'd like to be booked under this time."  
  
"Ya know what...I'm not talking with you morons. I want my lawyer here...and if you want to salvage what's left of your careers...you'll release everyone you man-handled from my boat."   
  
"If you have nothing to hide...why do you need a lawyer? Tell me that?"  
  
"Because I'm going to have you fired. And I'm going to sue this precinct." He says staring her down.  
  
"Well...you'd better have a pretty good lawyer, because I plan to put you away for a very long time, Buford."  
  
"I don't know who this Buford is...but you can verify who 'I' am, by running my name through the police computer. I'm a cop you idiot. I went to the academy right here in New York."  
  
"Oh...that's very original. I don't think I've had anyone ever try that excuse to get out of jail. Have you Boscorelli?"   
  
"Nope."  
  
"While you're on the computer...or maybe you fools can get someone to help you...you can also look up the names of the other men you just degraded from my boat. My future father in law, captain Benjamin Braddock from the two three in Ocean view, Florida, and 'his' father in law, Florida's police-commissioner Jacob Ellicott."  
  
Bosco looks from Hector to Cruz. This guy sounds very believable...and why would he make up such a far fetched lie that could easily be disproved. "Shall I run a check?"  
  
Bosco asks Cruz, feeling a little stupid for needing to ask, yet a bit nervous because of Hector's self assuredness that he is speaking the truth. Cruz glares at him.  
  
"No need...I have it all right here." She lifts up the thick file, then slams it down on the table and opens it up. "It says here that Harry P. Buford...claimed to be a cop once...but no badge number could be found for that name. He doesn't exist."  
  
"Stupid...that is NOT my name. Look up MY name you fucken idiots. Where the fuck did you guys get this ridiculous information?"  
  
From Faith. Bosco's stomach does a flip as he thinks about the paper she dropped...that she let him find...about that cop from Pennsylvania. What if this file...is also bogus information that she let him find.  
  
"Sarge...can I have a word with you outside?" He needs to find out if she actually verified any of the information that was in that file that he stole from Faith. He is getting a bad feeling.  
  
"Not now." She brushes Bosco off. "Tell me about this merger you were setting up on your boat."  
  
"I was announcing my engagement...to the Commissioner's grand daughter." He rubs the red mark around his mouth, left by the duct tape. "You bastards are in so much trouble."   
  
Suddenly there is a rapping on the mirrored window. "Go see what they want." She barks at Bosco. "I'm not through with him."  
  
"No...we're through. I'm not saying another word without a lawyer." Hector says, settling back in his chair.  
  
"Aw...I was hoping you'd tell me what they are going to find on your boat when they tear it apart." She taunts.  
  
Bosco walks out into the hall to find an angry Lieu standing there. "Boscorelli...what the hell is going on. Was this a good bust?"  
  
"Yes...of course it was, Lieu."  
  
"These people are telling one hell of a story down in lock up. One guy says he's a police commissioner from Florida. He says he's here celebrating his granddaughters engagement. And he says for his one phone call, he's planning to call 'our' police commissioner."  
  
Bosco's face turns pale. "That's the same story we got from this jag-off." Bosco looks through the two way mirror, and sees Cruz is nose to nose with Hector, and she is screaming at him that he caused the death of her sister. She is getting too wound up.  
  
"Get her the hell out of there. I need to find out more about this bust." Lieu says, heading for the door.  
  
He and Bosco go in and pull her away from Hector, and Lieu tells her to get the file and bring it to his office. On their way, another officer approaches them and tells Lieu that the police chief is on his way over...and he sounds mad.   
  
[an hour later]  
  
There is soon a battery of lawyers, conferring with Hector and his family in a large conference room, while Cruz and Bosco explain their findings to the Lieutenant, the Captain and the Chief.  
  
"Ellicott is a good friend of the Commissioner, and you are talking about his granddaughter's fiancé. So you had better be able to back up these allegations, Sergeant." The Chief says sternly.  
  
"If you're right about this Hector guy, the commissioner will owe us a debt of thanks for exposing him. He may over look all the trouble you've caused. But if you're wrong...  
  
"I've got it all right here boss." She slides the file across the table to him. "I have been tracking him for about a year now."  
  
He opens the thick file. "This is very impressive. You have a lot of information on him." He looks at the computer print outs of all his aliases. "This is amazing how you tracked him through all this confusion. Nice work. Did you dig this all up on your own?"   
  
As she says "yes", Bosco says "No". She glares at him.  
  
He glares back. He knows that Faith did all the work that they are praising, and she should get the credit for a job well done. But also in the back of his mind, he doesn't know if he can trust the information. He wants to give credit where credit...or blame...is due, also. He just wants to cover his tracks.  
  
"Well...is this your work or not?"   
  
"Yes...But Boscorelli helped me. I want him to get the credit he deserves too." She gives him a look that means shut your mouth.  
  
Bosco doesn't say anything more. He can't exactly call his Sergeant a liar right in front of her bosses. He feels better that he at least tried to get her to mention Faith. It was a feeble attempt, but none the less, he can say he tried.  
  
The Chief pulls out the list containing all the names of the people on the boat. "You researched these people pretty thoroughly as far as their financial status...yet I get the impression you didn't realize that some of them were on the job. Why is that?"  
  
"I ran out of time. When I found out who Hector really was, and that he was coming to town to meet with these people on his boat, I had to set up the sting. I didn't have time to finish checking on who they were."  
  
"That is a very dangerous thing to do. You should always find out who you're dealing with before a sting. They may have had their weapons on them. This could have turned very ugly." The chief tells her with authority.  
  
"Yes sir." She says humbly.  
  
"We are in agreement that the others were innocent victims are we not?" The captain asks.  
  
"Of course we are." The chief answers, although the question seemed to be directed at Cruz, who failed to give an answer.  
  
Bosco glances quickly at her then back down to the table. He is still nervous. She is lying through her teeth, but pulling it off nicely. Damn...she's good.  
  
"So what evidence do you have, that Hector is really Buford?" The Chief asks.  
  
"It's right here." She flips through the file and pulls out a paper with a fingerprint on it. The post-it note attached says 'Getaway car'.   
  
"This print was taken off the getaway car that Buford drove the last time we tried to bust him. We got no matches on it in the computer. But then I found out about Hector." She pulls out the second paper with a print, with a post it note labeling it 'Juvy'. "This is the only print in the system belonging to him. I got it out of his juvy file that had been previously sealed by a judge. I got it unsealed."   
  
"Nice work Sergeant." The Chief says.  
  
She smirks over at Bosco, just basking in the praise. But then the Captain says, "Is it just my eyes...or do these prints not match each other?"  
  
"What?" Every one leans closer.  
  
"You're right they don't match." Lieu says.  
  
"They must match...the computer gave me the match." Cruz says.   
  
"No they are different." the Chief states.  
  
"Well I must have pulled the wrong print out." She says, digging through the file. But there is no other print.  
  
"Well this is easily solved." Lieu says as he steps over to the computer and boots it up. "Give me the file number on the print from the getaway car."   
  
He types the number in and a case opens up. "I must have typed the number wrong, this is the wrong case file." They all move in closer as he retypes the number and gets the same results. "What the...this print is out of the investigation on John Sullivan. What the hell is this doing in your file Maritza?"   
  
She and Bosco shoot each other a stunned look.   
  
"You are not part of that investigation. You are not authorized to have this information." Lieu says.  
  
"So who's print is it?" The Captain asks.  
  
"It belongs to a guy named William Tarnell and there is another case number attached."   
  
"Wait...let me get on that computer." Cruz barks nervously, trying to push Lieu out of the way.  
  
"No Maritza...you just have a seat." Lieu orders her. He types the next file number into the computer. "I am looking at a report made out by this Tarnell guy, stating that he was mugged. The mugger, he claims, is a cop."  
  
"Was it Braddock or Ellicott?" The Chief asks.   
  
"Neither...the description fits you Maritza." Everyone looks at her. Lieu continues, "The amount of money stolen, matches the amount found in Sully's apartment. It looks like you planted the stolen money in Sully's apartment." They all look at her.  
  
"I don't have to stand here and listen to this. Yokas made up this information...she put that in this file."  
  
"I thought you said that you and Boscorelli made this file?" The Captain asks suspiciously.  
  
Lieu takes a good look at the report on the second finger print. "You said this was taken out of a juvy record?"  
  
"That's what I was told ." She says cautiously.  
  
"Well the report shows that this print was taken four days ago...by our forensics lab."  
  
"Taken from where?" The Captain asks.  
  
Lieu types s few more numbers in. "It was taken from the trunk of a car that had been broken into. A girl named Jackie Harris was booked for possession. A large amount of drugs were found in her trunk, but forensics shows that the car had been tampered with and this is the finger print taken from inside the trunk."  
  
"Why are you wasting time with this." Cruz says trying to avert their attention from it. "Forensics shouldn't have even wasted their time with it. She is a drug dealer. No one should have authorized them to check that car."   
  
"It was authorized by you." The Captain says, reading a paper out of the file. "You signed the requisition papers to have the car searched."  
  
Cruz tears the paper out of his hand.  
  
"Wait...I'm lost...who broke into that car?" The Chief asks, confused.   
  
Lieu types in the ID number of print and it opens up Cruz's police profile.   
  
Slowly they all look over at her again. "The print belongs to Cruz." Lieu says. "According to this...you broke into the girls trunk and planted the drugs in there to frame her."  
  
She stands up, looking furiously around the room. "I know what the hell is going on here...this report was falsified ...by officer Yokas. She is the one that put all this together. She is trying to make me look stupid. I have a tape recording of Yokas, Sullivan and Davis...in a restaurant...stating all these facts are true. They have set me up. Just ask Glen Parker...he placed the bug that gave us all this information."  
  
Bosco can't believe she is falling apart. She can't even cover her tracks with that recording. Glen will deny the wire tap because she didn't get a warrant for it. They are in deep shit and they both know it.  
  
Lieu types Hector Pinaro's name into the computer and his police profile opens up. "Oh my God. We've made a big mistake here." Lieu says. "Cruz...you falsified all this information just to bust Hector...because you thought he was Buford. Does anything in this file even pertain to Buford...or Hector."  
  
"This was not my file. I've been set up with bad information. It was Yokas and Sullivan. They are out to get me. They are the ones who made these accusations. I just acted on their information."   
  
Cruz begins gathering up the file, but the Captain stops her. "Leave it Sergeant. You better leave your badge and your weapon too. IAB is going to go over this with a fine toothed comb."  
  
The Chief adds, "Lieutenant, notify the rest of her team that they are being placed on suspension, pending the outcome of their involvement in all this."  
  
Bosco rubs his face with his hands. Stunned.   
  
[at the end of the shift]  
  
Faith has been called into Lieu's office. "Yokas...we had a little trouble here. A bad bust. Some very important people were falsely arrested."  
  
"Really? I hope there won't be any repercussions from it?" She says a bit too innocently.  
  
"Oh there will be. And...your name came up. Did you do a little research while you were working the desk?"  
  
"Me...no. Research on what?"  
  
"On a drug dealer named Buford." He says accusingly.  
  
"Well...that would be ACU's job wouldn't it? I'm just a patrol cop."  
  
Lieu stares at her as she explains, "Bosco said he and Cruz were going on a sting...something she'd been investigating for a year. My name must have come up because...you know...everyone associates me with him. But to be honest with you...we haven't been all that close lately. He seems to enjoy working on ACU...but I'm not really smart enough to figure out all that complicated stuff."  
  
"Uh huh. That's probably it." he says seemingly un-amused. "There is one other thing. I was given this statement, taken by officer Pratt. It tells me that this girl named Sparkel Jones confessed to calling in false complaints about you."  
  
"Really?" She says, trying to sound surprised.  
  
"She says someone put her up to it."  
  
"So...does that mean you're taking it off my record?"  
  
"Yes." He studies her for a second. "Don't you want to know who it was that put her up to it?"  
  
"Are you gonna tell me?"  
  
"I'd better not. I wouldn't want you to do anything like...try to get even." He stares at her knowingly...but doesn't speak what he has already figured out. "I'm sure that person will get what's coming to them." He winks and gives her a smile then says Good night.  
  
*****  
  
Stay tuned for the final wrap up chapter. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Third Watch. And any opinions expressed by them in this story are in no way a reflection of the people that do own them.  
  
Author's Note: This is the final chapter. I want to thank every one who stuck with me through the confusion and those who took the time to review.   
  
Previously in this story: Bosco and Cruz, use the information they stole from Faith, Sully and Davis, to bust who they believe is Buford along with his financial backers for his drug cartel. However, the information was bogus, and they ended up arresting a police officer and his fiancé at their engagement party, along with all their wealthy family and friends, who among them are a police commissioner and a police chief from another city. Faith and her cohorts, purposefully gave them the wrong information, in retaliation for the misdeeds that Cruz plotted against them: Getting Faith suspended, Framing Sully for a bribe that didn't happen, and Planting drugs on Davis' girlfriend, getting her busted. Bosco...trying to be loyal to Cruz, turned his back on his partner and friends, and is caught in the middle.  
  
~Chapter fourteen~  
  
Faith walks down the hallway towards her apartment carrying a laundry basket full of clothes. She stops when she notices the familiar figure standing at her door with his back to her. His hands are in his jean pockets, his shoulders are slumped inside his black leather coat and his head is hanging down, looking towards the floor.  
  
As she slowly walks towards him again, trying to decide what she plans to say to him, and whether or not she even wants to say anything to him, he knocks softly on her door and says to it, "C'mon Faith...if you're in there...just open the door. I need to talk to you."   
  
"I'm not." She says softly. He spins around in surprise, looking embarrassed. "I was in the laundry room."  
  
"Oh...I thought..." He doesn't finish the sentence.  
  
After standing in an awkward silence for a moment, she says, 'Well...could you open the door for me?"  
  
"Sure." He turns the knob and pushes it open, then steps aside to let her pass, and waits for her to invite him in. She doesn't...so he stands there for a moment longer and says, "Is it alright if I come in for a minute?"  
  
She sets the basket down and looks at him sternly. "This is my home Bosco. I won't have you attacking me with accusations here. If you have something to say about what happened...you can say it later...down at the precinct."  
  
"I won't be there. I've been suspended." He watches her to see her reaction. "I'm not here to fight with you. I came to...I came to apologize. I never intended to fight with you. I mean before...the last time we spoke. I don't know why I said those things, I didn't mean any of it." He steps in the doorway, intending to inch his way in if he has to. He isn't going to leave without saying what he came to say.  
  
"Is that all? That's the only thing you're apologizing for?"  
  
"No...can I come in?"  
  
"Alright...but leave the door open." As he walks in, she backs away, keeping a good distance between them.  
  
"What are you doing...are you afraid of me?"   
  
"Not afraid...I just don't trust you. I don't know what you really want. Did Cruz send you here?"   
  
"Cruz? She's in jail. Commissioner Ellicott insisted she be locked up...with no bail. He's pressing charges against her. So is Chief Braddock and Hector...oh hell they all are. Even Sully and Davis' girlfriend. They've been processing her all night. And IAB is investigating her too. Every bust she's ever made. Every illegal thing she's ever done. She'll be gone for a long time. You don't have to be afraid of her any more."   
  
"I was never afraid of her. I knew she was the enemy. My mistake was thinking that you had my back. That's how she got me...you sold me out to her. You were the enemy I didn't see coming and I won't make that mistake again. So tell me...is there something more she needs you to do? Are you here to avenge her?"  
  
"God Faith." He drops down on the couch and looks at her like he wants to cry. "I know you're pissed...I know you hate me...and I don't blame you. I know I've been a real shit...and I even expected that you would toss me out...but I...I never thought that you would ever feel that I was a threat to you." He puts his hands up to his mouth. "What have I done...I'm so sorry. For everything. I didn't realize how much I hurt you." His eyes tear up and he blinks it away quickly, trying to think of what he should say next. "You're right...you have no reason to trust me...and I don't know how I can fix that."  
  
Faith is taken by surprise at his outburst. She thought at first, that he was here to yell at her for what they did. But then she could tell by his demeanor that he wanted to make up. She expected maybe he would give her a half ass apology to get his butt out of the fire, but she didn't expect him to be emotional. She walks over and shuts the door, then sits on the edge of the chair next to him. "So...Cruz is finished, huh? That's good. Are you in a lot of trouble?"  
  
"Not as much as I could be I guess. I did a lot of underhanded things for her. Against people that I care about."  
  
"Well...confession's good for the soul." She says softly.  
  
"Yah...Ok." He turns and looks her in the eye. "I lied to you. When I said that I talked to the Lieutenant about your suspension...I lied. I never talked to him. Not because I didn't want to...but, because I'm an idiot. I was just so busy trying to impress Cruz that...I forgot...and when I did remember, it was too late. So I lied...so that you wouldn't be mad."  
  
"I know." She says bluntly.  
  
Bosco looks away nervously. "And I also lied when I told you that Sully asked me to help you find Buford. But...you already knew that too, huh."  
  
"Yah."  
  
He purses his lips and nods his head yes, as he glances down at the floor. "I guess the thing I feel the worst about is that I spied on you guys for her. I was sneaking information from you and running to her with it. We had a bug in Sully's apartment...and honest to God I felt guilty about it...but, we listened to him in his apartment. We eavesdropped on Sully's conversations with Davis...and with you."  
  
"I know."   
  
"You knew?" He thinks about it for a second. "Of course you knew...the Chlamydia. I knew it...I told them. Then I guess you knew that you were being bugged in the restaurant too."   
  
"We were hoping you would. That's why we let you know we were going there."  
  
"So you know that I was the one who stole that file from you. I actually felt bad...the look on yours and Davis' face when it came up missing..."  
  
"We were playing you. You did exactly what we thought you would do."   
  
He nods. "How did you guys come up with Hector Pinaro?"  
  
"Davis went through the academy with him. He's a rich kid that never had to work for anything. With his money and connections, they just pushed him through and promoted him up. When Davis heard that he was coming to town to announce his engagement, we figured he was someone that had enough power to take care of Cruz if she messed with him. But we never expected it to go that far. We never 'gave' you or Cruz the information that she acted on. If the information had not been obtained in a devious way...if Cruz ever went through the proper channels before she acted...that whole thing would never have happened."   
  
"So she hung herself with her own actions. That file you made...it was unbelievable. Where did you get all that information?"   
  
"I never said that information was real. I just made it all up. Then I placed all the other files inside with it. The real ones, that proved what she had done to us. And if she tries to use the tape from the restaurant against me...she still can't prove..."  
  
"She did try to use that tape to implicate you. But she screwed herself with that too. She never did the paper work or got the warrant for the bug. It was all done illegally, so Glen denied placing the bug to save his ass. He said the tape doesn't exist. They haven't asked me about it yet...but I'm gonna deny that it exists, too. For your sake and for Glen's."  
  
"Well, you lied 'against' me...don't think I'm gonna talk you out of lying 'for' me."   
  
"Ya know...the funny thing is, I tried to give you credit for all the work you did on that file. I felt bad that you'd worked so hard on it, and we were getting all the credit. Cruz stopped me from bringing you into it...she actually did you a favor."  
  
"I'll bet that's burning her ass now." She says happily.  
  
"So...when I followed that guy from Pennsylvania all around New Jersey for nothing... you planned for me find that paper and make a fool of myself in front of Cruz?"  
  
"Yah."  
  
"And the guy named William that I was looking for at the Pink Parrot...don't exist?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"And Allen from the bar, the guy that hit on me...he was a plant?"  
  
"No...actually he was real. He really had the hots for you."  
  
He grins at her. "Of course he did...look at me."  
  
She lets out a laugh and looks away smiling. "You're an ass."  
  
"Faith...look at me."  
  
She looks back and his face is suddenly serious...and sincere.   
  
"I hate that you feel threatened by me. I understand it...and I can handle you being mad at me...but I can't have you think that I would ever do anything to hurt you. I didn't know what Cruz had done. I never would have gone along with it. You have to believe that. I found out what she did in the restaurant listening to you, and by then there was nothing I could do to change it. And I was too ambitious to walk away from nailing Buford. But I would never let you be in danger, and I will never let anyone intentionally hurt you. No matter how much of a jerk I may be, or how involved I am in something else, or even if we're fighting...I will always protect you. That's what I came here to say. That...and I'm truly sorry."  
  
She glances away from his gaze, and says softly, "I believe you."  
  
The two sit for a while talking, like they haven't done in a long time. Like old friends...like partners. They had stretched the bounds of their friendship, and maybe the marks will always be there as a reminder, but there is a certain bond between partners that is hard to break.   
  
They don't talk about work anymore...they don't discuss whether or not they will be partners again. They just catch up on things, helping to heal the wounds, and hoping to hide the scars.   
  
*** The End *** 


End file.
